Sailor Moon GSL: Geass Speed Love
by kyugan
Summary: Pulled from the colective conciousness that makes up C's world, Lelouch is hurtled into a new conflict, in which the fate of ANOTHER world hangs in the balance. Will the Demon Emperor find salvation? Or Will his heart be swallowed by Silence?
1. Chapter 1

Well, this one seems to have hit off well enough.

Kudos to all you fans that sent in suggestions.

To Panther-Strife: Working on it man, believe me, just this popped into my head over holiday break.

To Sketch: Standing by bro.

* * *

Death and Rebirth.

'It finally ends…'

Such were the thoughts of Lelouch vi Britannia, the young man who, through the culmination of blood, sweat, and copious amounts of tears, had managed to unite the word under a single banner.

Now admittedly, that sounds romantic, possibly even heroic, however, the truth of the matter is, sadly, much harsher than fiction would later make it out to believe, involving a tale of heartbreak, sorrow and loss, which was the result of one young man's quest to right the wrongs of his predecessors.

It seemed like an eternity ago that Lelouch, then under the guise of Lelouch Lamperouge, had encountered the apparently immortal woman known only as C.C, whom had bestowed upon him the cursed power of Geass, under the condition that, should he fully awaken to the power, he would use it to take her life.

Donning the mantle of Zero, Lelouch had set out to correct the wrongs that had been wrought in the name of his father, Charles zi Britannia, then Emperor of the Britannian Empire. He had amassed an army, made up of rebel factions from those nations that Britannia had ostracized, though the backbone had been the small, island Nation of Japan, where he and his blind, crippled sister Nunnally had been exiled and left for dead.

But of course, like all best laid plans, it was hardly going to be easy. Lelouch had no delusions, he never considered himself a 'hero'. He set Zero up as a symbol, a rallying point for those who would oppose his father, but all the while, his one TRUE objective was not the people, but the creation of a world where Nunnally, and those like her, could live in peace. To do that, any sacrifice was acceptable. Or so he'd thought.

Reality could be a cruel mistress, and more often than not, Lelouch found himself caught in her cruel clutches, either unable to make a decisive move, held back by his own emotions, or crushed beneath the weight of his crimes. Friends became enemies, trusted allies raised bloody daggers, the battle lines in the sand became so blurred that, for many, it soon became impossible to recall whose side they were truly on.

But at last, it was over, a lifetime of plotting, of sacrifice, culminating in one, no doubt epic climax that would have had Shakespeare weeping for joy had someone ever put it to paper.

He could hear it now, the shocked, intake of breath from the crowd, as the Demon Emperor, Lelouch vi Britannia, was silenced by the renegade Zero, who had miraculously returned from the grave to fulfill his promise of protecting the weak from tyranny. The irony of the situation, that he should be done in by his own alter-ego, was not lost on the soon to be departed Emperor, in fact, it brought a smile to his face as 'Zero', in actuality Suzaku Kururugi, stabbed him through the chest, Lelouch never raising a finger, accepting this assisted suicide openly, as penance for his crimes and to usher in a new age of peace.

Even as he fell, the Emperor's enigmatic smile never left his face, his fading purple eyes trailing on the captive members of the Black Knights, taking in their looks of confusion, and in Kallen's case, horror, though he could have sworn that, in some of the sharper ones, the light of understanding dawned.

'Which more than likely means that Tamaki's as clueless as ever…' the Emperor chuckled, recalling the mercurial redhead, who was just as quick to praise something as he was to condemn it, and vice-versa depending on the situation, with a hint of amusement, which faded as he felt a pair of gentle hands grip his own.

'Nunnally…' he deduced, unable to even move his head to look at his precious little sister, so weak was he from bloodloss. But then again, it was probably a fitting sendoff, after all, why should a demon be granted a last request, even if it were something as simple as a last glance at the sole light in his life?

"Big Brother!" Nunnally cried, her tear-stained voice like a choir of angels to the fading Emperor, cutting through his dulling senses to reach his very soul "I love you!"

Those words, five simple words that, to the dying Emperor, carried with them a greater power than if God himself had spoken them. His lips parted, drawing air into ruptured lungs, his elegant features stretching in a smile as he managed the strength to raise his head, his purple eyes smiling blindly upwards, her surprised, distraught features filling his vision, even as blackness creeped in from the edges.

"I know…" he whispered, smiling all the while, one bloodstained hand coming up to wipe away her tears, Nunnally's eyes widening in shock at this simple, loving gesture, even as the darkness swooped in, Lelouch falling into it's embrace without a struggle.

* * *

_..._

_It wasn't so much a life as an, existence, the feeling that you were, in some way, part of the big picture, not so much an individual entity, but a smaller part of some LARGER entity, one who's being encompassed more than one facet of reality._

_There was no self, there was not time, such things were inconsequential in the face of the grand scheme of things, Memories blurred, pasts were forgotten._

_Only the future remained in C's world._

...

* * *

_An Eternity within an instant..._

"Are you awake?" a voice called out, piercing through the darkness, echoing slightly, as if the speaker was calling out to him from the far end of a long, dark tunnel "Can you hear me?"

'Who?' Lelouch wondered, his eyes flinching as they slowly opened, the former emperor drawing in a sudden gasp of air, as lungs that hadn't worked for what felt like an eternity, which SHOULDN'T have worked again after Suzaku ran him through, expanded forcibly, taking in deep, ragged breaths of air that forced him to the floor once more, coughing his lungs out.

"Easy, Easy…" the voice offered, professional concern, like that of a doctor, emanating from it's tone, though whoever it was didn't step forward to help "Your body's only just recalling how to operate, I wouldn't make any sudden movements were I you."

"Who?" Lelouch gasped, grimacing at the cold feel of the ground before him, tilting his head slightly to get a better look at his surroundings, only to grimace as he recognized the spiraling pillar of humanity that composed the collective will of C's World.

He was standing in the very spot where he'd renounced his parents and their ideals, where he'd reaffirmed his vow to create a world without war, without conflict, even if it meant being known as a demon. Back then, he'd been straight-backed and proud, his voice commanding.

Now he lay on the floor before the will of C, naked, helpless, each breath sending spikes of agony through his bones.

'What…is this?' he wondered, his eyes wide, gripping his sides as he tried to make sense of this strange situation, his logical mind racing to comprehend what was going on, only to come up blank. Lelouch really couldn't blame it for failing, as he'd never imagined he'd encounter a scenario like this before. Death was supposed to be a one-time experience after all.

'Unless you possess the power of Code.' He recalled, grimacing as the memory of C.C appeared in his mind, the green haired, immortal witch's features showing her typical all-knowing smile 'But I never took C.C's code, and V.V's vanished with Father…CHARLES.' He corrected, refusing to acknowledge any relation to the man who'd abandoned Nunnally and himself 'Could my Geass have evolved post-mortem? But I thought Code could only be passed on from contractor to contractor?'

"Hmm, awake for two minutes and you're already showing signs of advanced mental activity." The voice noted, seemingly impressed by the teen's calm demeanor "You truly possess a fascinating mind, I wish I could have studied it."

"Who are you?" Lelouch called out, his tone much calmer, now that he'd had a moment to gather himself. It was unnerving really, thinking of himself as a single entity, after the alien peace that he'd experienced as part of the Collective Mind of C "What are you doing here?"

"Good, good, already asking questions." The voice acknowledged, laced with decided approval at his words "And it looks like your body's recovering faster than anticipated, ah to be young again." The voice chuckled at Lelouch's scowl "Now-now, no need to get angry, I'm merely glad that my attempts to revive you went off without a hitch."

"Revive me?" Lelouch repeated, the former emperor quirking a brow at the voice's words "Are you saying you've brought me back to life?"

"In a word? Yes." The voice admitted, his tone serious, though still laced with that undertone of bemusement as he smiled at the recovering teen "It wasn't easy, separating your consciousness from that of the Collective. One would think you didn't WANT to live."

"I have no regrets about my death." Lelouch shot back, the former emperor sitting up slowly, squatting on one knee in order to both get a better footing and cover his nudity from view, "I accomplished my goals, my life was but a small price to pay to achieve them."

"Admirable resolve." The voice applauded, and there WAS admiration there, albeit tinged with the thus-far ever present undertone of bemusement, as if the speaker were enjoying some private joke "I can see I chose wisely when I opted to revive you."

"I should assume then, that you didn't revive me out of the goodness of your heart." Lelouch noted sardonically, slowly getting to his feet, even as clothes formed over his naked form, more accurately, the clothes he'd worn when he'd faced down his father, the main body of his Zero uniform, sans the helmet and cape.

"Indeed." The voice noted, Lelouch's eyes narrowing as a figure stepped into view, dressed in what appeared to be a white lab coat over a shirt, tie and trousers. His face, however, was obscured by intense light, save for a pair of circular, reflective spectacles "I have a need of your services…Lelouch vi Britannia…" a smile formed in the light "Or do you prefer to be known as Zero?"

"Lelouch will do." The former emperor replied, his tone flat and to the point "Lelouch vi Britannia died at the hands of Zero, those names no longer apply to me."

"Lelouch it is then." The figure noted with a nod, his glasses flashing from the movement as he held a hand to his chest "As to who I am, for reasons I'm sure you can relate to, I cannot reveal my name." He offered a polite, curt bow "For the sake of convenience, you may call me T."

"Well then." Lelouch mused, smiling wryly as he gestured around him "I must say you are a credit to your profession, so few have ever gone so far to cheat death."

"I can be quite stubborn when I want to be." T replied, his tone amused as he pushed his glasses up with one gloved hand, his iridescent smile like a beacon "but enough about that." He uttered, the smile vanishing into the light as he stood straighter, clearly a sign he was about to get down to business "I went to great pains to revive you because I need your help."

"One would think that a man that can revive the dead would be beyond the need for 'help'." Lelouch opined, quirking a brow at the doctor, who shrugged.

"I am not without my limits." The specter admitted "One of which is that it took literally all the resources I have just to bring YOU back, I doubt I could do so again."

"So why pick ME?" Lelouch asked, quirking a brow "You addressed me by name, and also as Zero, this leads me to believe that you performed a background check on me."

"Of a sorts." T admitted with a wan smile "I must say, you certainly lived an interesting life for one who died so young. So much suffering, so much pain, and yet you managed to die with smile on your face…" here his tone took on a wistful hint "I suppose we have something in common there."

Lelouch quirked a brow at that, but before he could ask the figure to elaborate, T held up his hand for silence. "Tell me, Lelouch-kun." He asked, Lelouch blinking as he realized that the man, or whatever he was, must be Japanese to use such a suffix "Do you believe in the parallel world theory?"

"The hypothetical existence of multiple possible universes?" Lelouch wondered, quirking a brow as the specter nodded silently "I've heard the theory, though it falls short of credibility."

"Indeed, it's hard to prove something that cannot be witnessed by normal means." T acknowledged, his tone scholarly "Nevertheless, C's world is, in fact, an example of a parallel universe, one that encompasses the entirety of space, time, matter, and energy as well as the physical laws and constants that describe them."

"Are you trying to say that you're from a parallel world?" Lelouch asked, wondering just what kind of whack-job he was dealing with, though the fact he was alive did give the man's story credence.

"Indeed," T nodded, his features hidden by light "A universe where, believe it or not, the Britannian empire never existed." He smiled at Lelouch's look of shock "Or more accurately, was never FORMED, as the American Colonies proved successful in fending off the British, not to mention the United Kingdom wasn't lost to the Nazi's during World War 2, events which were paramount to the formation of the Britannian Empire."

"You've done your homework at least." Lelouch noted, internally thrown by the idea that his homeland never existed. True, the landmass was there, but without the Empire, how would life have differed? Would he even have been born?

"I want you to see something…" T instructed, his tone solemn as he reached into his coat, pulling out what looked like a remote control, of all things "This is the fate my world will suffer." He revealed, aiming the remote at a wall and pressing the button.

* * *

_Seconds later... _

Lelouch blinked, looking around in wonderment as the world of C vanished, replaced with a barren landscape, covered with ice and snow that glittered like diamonds. Overhead, stars shone brilliantly in the black canvas that was the night sky, obscured partially by the glowing lights of the aurora borealis.

"Nice view, isn't it?" T's voice called out, Lelouch looking up to see the figure standing off to the side, his back to the teen, hiding his features, though Lelouch could see he had white hair "Would you believe this was once the bustling center of Tokyo city?"

"THIS?" Lelouch repeated, looking around the wilderness in alarm, his eyes wide with disbelief. Now that he looked closer, however, he could see things that identified this place as a city, like a series of small hills that were actually frozen cars, or a mountain that was actually a collapsed, iced over skyscraper "What happened?"

"They called it the 'Big Freeze'." T admitted, the labcoat sporting specter standing with his back to the teen, hands in the pockets of his coat, as if to protect them from the chill "The second coming of the Ice Age, hypothesized by scientists for years."

"I find it hard to believe that human civilization could be reduced to THIS simply because of a change in the climate." Lelouch countered, his tone disbelieving as he eyed the barren, inhospitable wasteland that was supposedly the center of Tokyo.

"Our technology was not as advanced as your own world's, Lelouch-kun.' T countered, his tone solemn as he snorted disissively "We hadn't even discovered Sakuradite, and so the greatest form of energy we could produce was still nuclear in design."

"I see." Lelouch muttered, internally shocked by how…BACKWARDS, his strange benefactor's world seemed to be. Nuclear power hadn't been used in Britannia since the discovery of Sakuradite. Even third world countries didn't use the stuff anymore!

"From a population of 6.9 billion, the earth's population dropped to a mere million." T went on, further startling the teen, the doctor's shoulders tensing slightly "And it all could have been averted if mankind had been allowed to develop, unencumbered."

"I assume from your tone that there was some…Outside Interference, that prevented this from occurring?" Lelouch muttered, earning a nod from the silent doctor "Should I assume, therefore, that your reasons for reviving me are tied to these?"

"In a manner of speaking, yes." T admitted, recovering himself with a sigh, though he kept his back to the teen "My goal has two objectives: One, to ensure that mankind's technology advances to the stage it can survive this cataclysm."lik

"For which you require knowledge of Britannian technology." Lelouch deduced, the former emperor nodding his head in understanding "If that is the case, why pick me? You could have contacted anyone from my world." Like Rakshata and Lloyd Asplund to name a few.

"I couldn't risk the temporal imbalance of bringing a person from one world to another." T countered, his tone dismissive "Every living thing has their place in the world, a role to play, if you will. Dragging from their own world to another could have catastrophic results."

"So you chose someone whose 'role' had already ended." Lelouch deduced, seeing the logic in the man's tone "I suppose that makes sense, I have no ties to my old world anymore, so the odds of my existence unduly affect yours should be minimal at best."

"Indeed." T nodded, his tone laced with approval at the teen's insight, turning to face the teen, even as their surroundings shifted back to that of C's world, his features once again hidden from the teen as he held out an Attaché case "And I won't be sending you in blind, either."

Lelouch quirked a brow at this, stepping forward hesitantly to accept the case from the figure, popping it open only to blink as he realized the entire thing was actually a concealed laptop computer.

"I've compiled quite a lot of information regarding your world's technology," T admitted, sounding pleased with himself, "There's also a program that will allow you to effortlessly hack into local government computers without leaving a trace."

"You make it sound like I'm some sort of secret agent." Lelouch scoffed, though he had to admit, T was certainly thorough. He almost wished he'd had the man as a member of the Black Knights "And what of the outside interference?"

"They shouldn't be able to track you so long as you don't needlessly reveal yourself." T countered, and Lelouch detected a hint of humor their "Not that I need to tell YOU that, of course."

* * *

_Lelouch's POV..._

"Of course." Lelouch snorted, smirking wryly as he recalled how getting exposed had caused most of the problems in his life. From Shirley to Schneizel, every time someone learned who he was, it lead to trouble "You mentioned your plan came in two parts," he spoke up, snapping the attaché case closed "What's the second?"

T fell silent, and for a moment, Lelouch wondered if the man had heard him, only to notice that the man's shoulders were slumped, and he seemed older than before. "There is someone…" he murmured, the enigmatic doctor's voice lowering, laced with an undertone of sadness and regret "Someone I want you to protect, at all cost."

"From the outside forces?" Lelouch theorized, only to blink as the T shook his head, his shoulders trembling slightly "Some other party then?"

"Both, actually." T admitted, taking a breath to steady himself, Lelouch's eyes widening as he realized the man was starting to flicker, like a bad video image "Time is short, I can't explain too much, all I can say is that the tools you need are in that case."

"Wait!" Lelouch demanded, stepping forwards with a look of alarm "Why me?" he demanded, grasping the fading doctor by the shoulders "Why of all the souls in C's world, did you choose ME?"

"Because you know what it's like to walk in the shadows." T countered, and for a moment, Lelouch could see a tired, wrinkled face framed with circular glasses "You know what it means to make a deal with the devil for the sake of a loved one."

"T…" Lelouch wondered, looking at the older man in alarm, only to blink as something was snapped onto his wrist, looking down in distraction just as the Specter rammed his fist into his stomach, doubling him over, sending him toppling off the side of the walkway with a yell.

"I'm counting on you…" T called out, his voice wrapping around Lelouch as the light enveloped him, a strange buzzing noise filling the air "God Speed, Lelouch-kun!"

* * *

_Night-time... _

"T!" Lelouch yelled, only to blink as he realized, one, he wasn't falling anymore, two, he was lying on what appeared to be a bench, and three, there was no one else around. "Where the hell?" he wondered, sitting up straight, the attaché case at his side, as he took in his surroundings, namely the empty city street, lit by a row of lights.

The bench he'd woken up on stood next to a bus stop, which was itself resting at the bottom of a massive flight of stone steps.

'It seems I'm in Area Eleven at least.' Lelouch deduced, glancing at the Kanji which adorned the side of the stop, 'Or Japan rather, there's no way the Empire exists if they're still allowing them to use Kanji instead of English…this must be T's world."

Having reached that conclusion, the former Emperor rose from his seat, wincing from the stiffness of his back, as he'd apparently been on the bench for some time before snapping to his senses. As he did, he noticed he was no-longer dressed in the remnants of his Zero uniform, but rather, in his old civilian clothes, black jeans, boots, a skin-tight, sleeveless shirt, and a thick brown denim jacket.

'He REALLY did his homework." Lelouch marveled, a little unnerved by how thoroughly the enigmatic doctor had researched him, even as he checked his clothes over for anything out of the ordinary. It was during his examinations that he espied the strange device clasped to his right wrist.

'A watch?' he wondered, only to dismiss this theory as there was no face, nor visible features for telling time 'Weird, it almost looks like something's supposed to attach onto it."

The rev of an engine drew his attention to an impressive looking motorcycle with side-car that was parked next to the bus stop, in clear violation of parking laws. Normally he wouldn't have given the machine an second look, however, the fact it bore the Black Knight's Crest on the gas tank caught his eyes, as did the letter taped to the handlebars.

'Dear Lelouch-kun.' He read, picking the letter up and glancing over it 'I figured you might like a little transportation while you're in my world. Consider this a birthday present of sorts. The instruction manual's included in the laptop. Best wishes, T.'

"The man has good taste." Lelouch snorted, crumpling the letter and tossing it effortlessly over his shoulder, where it landed in a trash can "Albeit a twisted sense of humor."

Shivering slightly from the breeze, the former Emperor turned, scooping up the attaché case from where it lay on the bench, setting it into the side-car before mounting his new ride, marveling at how futuristic the bike looked for a moment, before starting up the engine, smirking at the feel of power the machine gave off as he revved the throttle.

"Certainly a lot more impressive looking than Rivalz's." he chuckled, recalling how his old school-friend and constant contender for Milly Ashford's affection's machine would continuously break down at inopportune moments, such as the time they'd stalled when Kallen and her friend had crashed into a construction site.

Still chuckling at the memory, Lelouch pulled on the helmet that had been prepared for him, quirking a brow at how closely it resembled his Zero Helmet, before revving the engine and taking off, determined to find a place to stay for the night.

Unbeknownst to the reborn Emperor, a small, black and gold figure hovered behind him, buzzing mechanically as it easily kept pace with its designated partner.

* * *

For those of you that missed the crossover corner, yes, this is a Sailor Moon Crossover.

For those of you that pointed out thatthe 'Zero' costume IS formal wear, please don't compare it to Tuxedo Penguin's get-up.

Also, that was the only real dig I'm taking at Mamoru here, this is mainly going to follow the canon plot, so don't expect much more than the occasional snide comment from Lulu.

Also, Sailor Lulu MAY show up in omake's if the mood takes me.

Lelouch: Say WHAT?

C.C: Fufufufu...

Won't bother asking for eviews for this chappie, as the next one's getting published too.


	2. Chapter 2

As stated earlier, this chapter was released early on account of the first alread being made available. Consider this the first ACTUAL chapter of Lelouch's new adventure.

Lelouch: Seriously, what is it with you and reviving m from the dead?

Kyugan: You're just that awesome.

Lelouch: If that's the case, why put me in a SHOUJO manga?

Kyugan: Technically, the anime wasn't limited to girls, and that's the setting I'm putting you in.

Lelouch: You make it sound like that should make me feel better.

Kyugan: Is it working?

Lelouch: If i even catch wind of HINT of BL in this...

Kyugan: Dude, read my profile, humorous effect only, and even then there's limits.

C.C: Oh poo...

* * *

Premonition of World's End?

_Rei gasped, the dark haired priestess whipping round to gape at her surroundings in alarm, desperation lining her features._

_Now normally, it would take a lot to scare the girl, as despite her age and appearance, she was in reality a warrior of Love and Justice, Sailor Mars of the Sailor Senshi. As such, she had in fact saved the world on two separate occasions, and regularly dealt with lesser evils on a daily basis._

_However, at the moment, she was NOT Sailor Mars, fiery champion of the red planet, but simply Hino Rei, heir to the Hikawa Shrine and in her 9th grade of junior-high. _

_The girl was standing in the middle of Juuban street, dressed in her school uniform, surrounded on all sides by the frozen, statue-like forms of the civilians. Her friends were there too, likewise frozen, though unlike Rei, they had obviously shifted into their senshi forms long before whatever had afflicted the city had struck, the four of them posed in their typical battle stances._

_As Rei looked on in growing trepidation, a wave of darkness descended on the city, enveloping the frozen forms of the civilians and buildings alike, reducing them to little more than dust on the wind._

_"Silence is approaching…" Rei whispered, her eyes locked on the advancing wave of darkness with a look of fear, which only grew as it drew inexorably closer "No good…I can't win like this!"_

_A sudden burst of light shone from behind her, forcing the priestess to whip round, shielding her eyes as she gazed up at the glowing Silver Star._

_"Are…are you the Messiah?" she called out, her tone hesitant, desperate, even as the oncoming darkness, The Silence, began to draw everything into it's depths "Please! I beg of you! Save everyone!"_

_The Star gleamed, before separating into three smaller stars, Rei looking on in confusion, which quickly gave way to alarm as the lights receded, abandoning them to their fate._

_"WAIT!" she pleaded, reaching out to the gems desperately falling to her knees in defeat as they vanished, glancing over her shoulder in terror as the darkness bore down on her as she knelt behind the frozen forms of her friends._

_"STAND BY!" a mechanical voice called out, Rei looking up in surprise to see, of all things, a large golden beetle with three horns racing towards her, enveloped in a sphere of light. She yelped, covering her face with her arms as it drew closer, only to blink as it flew past her towards a strange figure who stood with his back to her, facing the oncoming silence without fear._

_"Who?" she wondered, looking on in amazement as the Golden Beetle buzzed around the figure, his form vanishing in a flash of gold, even as The Silence surged towards them._

_"CAST OFF!" the mechanical voice called out again, Rei crying out in alarm as something EXPLODED in front of her, the Priestess shielding her face as the debris slammed into The Silence, forcing it back. The Silence, in the face of this new force, receded slightly, still there, but wary, like a beast that had been challenged in it's own den, leaving Rei and her friends untouched._

_"Who?" the priestess wondered, lowering her eyes, only to gape up at the tall figure that stood with his back to her, his form covered in golden armor over a black bodysuit._

_He turned towards her, and the last thing she saw before the vision ended was a pair of glowing blue eyes, set in a horned helmet._

_"CHANGE: BEETLE!"_

* * *

_Rei's room... _

"AH!" Rei gasped, the fire priestess and Senshi of Mars' eyes snapping open in alarm, looking around wildly to see where she was, only to narrow her eyes, brows twitching irately as the sound of familiar snoring filled the air.

"What's wrong Rei-chan?" Mizuno Ami called out, the timid bluenette looking up in concern as the dark haired girl trembled with shock and annoyance, politely ignoring the not-so-genteel snors of her blonde friend, who was face down in her textbook.

"You looked like you were having a Nightmare." Kino Makoto noted, the tall, tomboyish brunette eyeing the shorter girl with a look of confused concern. It wasn't like Rei to pass out during a study session after all, unless she'd REALLY been pushing herself.

"Oh, um…sorry." Rei stammered, shaking herself to clear her head of the last remnants of sleep, before reaching out, grabbing her friend Tsukino Usagi by the head and forcing the snoring blonde to sit up "It's nothing." She assured her friends, even as the offending blonde roused with a yawn "I just had a weird dream."

"A weird dream?" Aino Minako wondered, the other blonde looking up in interest from her spot on the other side of the kotatsu, which for the past hour or so, the girls had been sitting around, trying to study for their upcoming exams.

To look at them, you would never think that these five, seemingly ordinary girls, were the champions of love and justice, the Sailor Senshi. You certainly wouldn't believe Usagi, who was going on about some retarded dream she had involving pigging out on ice cream, was the LEADER of the group, Sailor Moon herself. "Isn't it funny?" the blonde asked nervously, idly wondering if she'd made a fool of herself again, having trailed off at the group's silence.

"It's funny…" Ami assured her, the good-natured bluenette and the senshi of Mercury smiling shyly at her first true friend, even as she sweatdropped at the ridiculousness of her daydream "But this really isn't the time for such dreams."

"Ami-chan's right you know." Makoto agreed, the tall brunette eyeing the pigtailed blonde reprovingly "Do you remember how you did on that exam we had two days ago?"

Usagi grimaced, recalling the reaming she'd gotten from her mother for screwing up yet ANOTHER exam, only to laugh it off nervously "Well, at least I didn't get a Zero, right?"

"We're in the ninth grade now." Ami sighed, eyeing her blonde friend with a look of understandable concern, you would too if you were the one taking time out of your schedule to tutor someone "We have less than a year before our High School Entrance Exams!"

"Yeah." Minako agreed, the other blonde crossing her arms and nodding sagely "We need to catch up academically: We're behind because of all our battles!" she sighed "It's like they say: No Use Crying Over hatched Eggs."

"That's not it!" Ami exclaimed, waving a hand in front of Usagi to prevent the gullible blonde from memorizing another of Mina's botched phrases "It's 'No Use Crying Over Spilt Milk!'"

Rei smiled, listening in on the banter, as Ami tried, again, to make the two blondes realize that they were wrong, marveling at the bluenette's patience with the pair. If it were up to Rei, she'd have beaned them over the head with a textbook by now.

As it were, while Ami tutored the others, Rei let her mind wander back to her dream, shivering at the memory of the oncoming Silence.

'What was that golden beetle?' she wondered, her eyes narrowing slightly 'And that man in the armor…the one who held off the Silence…is he the Messiah?'

* * *

_Across town... _

Lelouch sneezed, the cup of coffee in his hand jolting from the action, earning a look of surprise from a nearby waitress, who'd been startled by the sound.

'Must've caught a cold…' he muttered, sniffing slightly as he shook his head to clear it, idly sipping at his java as he watched the traffic drive past 'Typical, I come back to life for less than a day and I'm already getting sick.'

Lelouch had driven around for hours, getting a feel for the bike whilst trying to figure out where to go next. In the end, he'd pulled up next to a roadside café, his stomach finally demanding attention, and had settled down for a late brunch, consisting of a club sandwich, water, and a cup of coffee with a complimentary biscuit.

'At the very least, T left me with a means of paying for food.' He noted, eyeing his wallet, which rested on the tabletop, filled with several 1000 yen bills 'It won't last forever, but it gives me the means to get started anyways.'

Not that Lelouch was worried about funds. Prior to becoming Zero, he'd gathered a name for himself in the underground gambling circuits, challenging rich, opulent members of the Britannian nobility and usually coming out ahead. If it was chess, he was nigh unbeatable, though he was also fairly good at most card games and roulette, though slot machines were pretty much a toss-up.

'All I need to do is locate where the local gamblers get together and I'll be set.' He reasoned, sipping his coffee all the while. The idea of actually getting a job not even worth considering, for one thing, he didn't really have any skills or qualifications that would enable him to do so, and he doubted putting down 'vigilante' and 'Emperor of a Holy Nation that doesn't exist' counted as valid prior experience.

Another reason for his avoiding honest work was that by living off his gambling, he could effectively stay 'Off The Grid', leaving no trails to follow, no clues to his identity. After all, if what T said was true, and there WAS someone going round interfering with the advance of modern Technology for whatever reasons, the last thing Lelouch wanted was them tracking him down on account of his bank statements.

As he was contemplating his next move, the former emperor espied a schoolgirl, dressed in what he'd come to understand was the uniform of the area, a 'sailor suit' he believed they were called.

'Milly would've loved that.' He mused, idly pondering how the blonde Ashford heir would try to develop a 'theme' based on the uniform, even as he watched the girl trudge past the shop, not even reacting to the girl's unusual hair. After all, Kallen was half Japanese herself, her Britannian ancestry showing more in her fiery red hair and temperament than in her facial structure.

'Judging by that look on her face either her dog just died or she just got her test results back…' Lelouch mused, quirking a brow as he watched the blonde stagger along, a miserable expression on her face as she clutched her book bag to her chest. It was at that moment that he espied another schoolgirl, this one dressed in a more conservative uniform with a blazer and longer skirt, walking the other way, her features distant, as if she were in a doze. She was so out of it she didn't seem to notice the blonde standing in front of her, right up until the moment their foreheads collided in a painful crack.

'Ouch…' Lelouch winced, looking on in guilty bemusement as the blonde devolved into tears, while the brunet seemed to tremble with barely restrained fury 'That had to hurt…'

His amusement was cut short by a beeping noise coming from the direction of his attaché case, the former emperor frowning as he opened it, revealing the concealed laptop, which switched on to reveal a map of the city.

'Some sort of tracking system?' he wondered, his eyes narrowing in suspicion as he watched the beacon home in on a point not far from here 'Looks pretty close to that spot where I woke up…' he deduced, wondering what on earth was going on, only to shrug, snapping the case closed before getting to his feet, leaving money to cover the bill, plus a generous tip for the admittedly cute waitress.

Outside the window, a small, metallic object hovered just out of sight, light glinting off its three golden horns.

* * *

_Hikawa shrine..._

Rei smiled as she ran up the familiar steps of the Hikawa shrine, having just come from conversing with Usagi, which had left her in a pretty good mood.

Initially irritated with the blonde's typical daydreaming, which had resulted in the two of them smacking their foreheads together painfully, Rei found little reason to remain annoyed, for as Usagi had pointed out testily, Rei hadn't exactly been paying attention either.

The reason for Rei's lack of concentration, however, was far more pressing than Usagi's fear of her parents' reaction to her latest test score, though the priestess had to admit, a mere 5 out of 100 would make even HER nervous.

No, Rei's thoughts had been locked almost permanently on that strange dream she'd had during their study session, the one where they were almost destroyed by the on the supposed saviors, only to be rescued by what had essentially been a golden beetle, until it was replaced with the form of a man in armour.

'Just what was that?' the priestess wondered, changing into her robes before positioning herself before the sacred flame of the Hikawa shrine, intending to perform a fire-reading so as to get a better understanding of her vision.

The sheer amount of destruction she witnessed scared her, something that wasn't easy to do, not even Beryl had given her such a bad vide, even after the Evil Queen had been taken over fully by Mettalia.

'But then even then, Beryl's plans were to CONQUER the world.' The priestess reminded herself, grimacing at the memory of their first major foe 'This…Silence, whatever it is, wants nothing more to destroy everything it touches.'

The three lights that she'd implored for help were another problem. They had abandoned the Senshi despite her pleas, though she sensed that with their help the darkness could have been defeated. The golden warrior, whoever he was, had seemed able to hold it at bay, but that had been all.

'Could he be another warrior from the Moon Kingdom?' she wondered, cursing the fact she'd reincarnated without her past-selves memories once more 'Or is he a warrior of earth like Mamoru-san?'

After what seemed like hours, Rei sat up, sighing heavily as the flames failed to provide the answers she sought. Getting to her feet, the priestess slid open the door to the shrine room, stepping out into the cooler air with a brief sigh of relief.

'Maybe it was just a dream?' she wondered, her hands folded in the sleeves of her uwagi, looking up at the cloudless sky in thought 'After all, it wouldn't be the first time I've confused a vision with a nightmare…'

Admittedly, such times were few and far between, and usually involved a minor case of food poisoning every time she accidentally ate something Usagi had cooked, but they were still a valid enough reason for Rei to relax a little.

To put her mind at ease, the priestess decided to help herself to one of the fortunes that the shrine sold, tying it to a nearby tree that was set aside for such activities.

'I wish that everyone could live happily without anything bad happening.' She prayed, smiling to herself as she finished fixing her fortune to the tree, only to gasp, recoiling in shock as a burst of evil energy emanated from the supposedly holy tree.

"What the-!" Rei exclaimed, completely caught off guard by such an evil presence emanating from something that had been on her family's property for years, looking on in shock as the tree was enveloped in a pillar of light, the trunk twisting and groaning horrifically as the tree spasmed. With a sickening noise, the roots tore themselves from their foundations, the branches melding together as the tree began to mutate into a more human appearance with a cry of "MIKUJI!"

As the light died down, Rei found herself face to face with a feminine monster with blue skin, dressed in what appeared to be a oriental dress, her hair done up with a massive red and white rope with bells in her hair, similar to the robe and bells used at shrines when making donations. Despite her human appearance however, the monster's hair resembled tree bark, and her arms and legs ended in branches and roots.

"What…what the-?" Rei gaped, the Senshi of Fire unable to believe that this, this THING, had been on her family's property, had managed to get so close to her, and she hadn't sensed it until it was literally standing right in front of her "What is this?"

"Mikuji." The monster repeated, it' features twisting into a mocking sneer as it smirking down at the priestess, it's yellow eyes glinting dangerously "That pure heart of yours, filled with concern for your friends…I shall take it!"

'Damn!' Rei swore, backing away from the monster slowly. 'This isn't good, if I transform here I'll get Grandpa and Yuichiro involved!'

Sometimes having a double life could be such a bother, the Senshi were always struggling to keep their identities secret from their families, a task made all the harder in Rei's case, as despite his perverted antics and teasing nature, her Grandfather wasn't the head priest of Hikawa Shrine for no reason. The man could sense evil spirits even better than she could, though she was improving every day.

As it was, all Rei could do was run, the priestess racing through the temple grounds, trying to put some distance between herself and this new enemy. However, just as she thought she'd gotten far enough away, the monster came flying at her, it's hands, now more human shaped, latching onto her wrists, forcing her to drop her Henshin rod as she was effectively pinned against a wall.

"Bad fortune to you!" Mikuji mocked, the monsters hands morphing to stone as she leapt back, leaving them embedded in the wall, effectively holding the priestess in place even as she regenerated a new pair.

As Rei struggled in her confines, a tall, redheaded woman in a revealing red outfit appeared behind the monster, leaning against a nearby tree with her arms folded beneath her impressive bust, a mocking smirk on her face. "Excellent work, Daimon Mikuji." The redhead applauded, causing Rei to blink at the creature's title, even as her smile grew more menacing "Now, take her pure heart!"

"MIKUJI!" The Daimon roared, reaching up and tearing open the lapels of her Chinese dress, revealing her breasts, and the black star tattoo above them, which hack star glowed ominously, before firing a beam of dark energy straight at Rei's chest, the priestess screaming in agony from the contact.

Whatever that black light was, it felt like it was physically trying to tear her heart from her breast.

* * *

_With Lelouch..._

'This is the location that the beacon showed.' Lelouch muttered, frowning as he eyed the bus stop before him 'Was it a false alarm? Or did I miss whatever was supposed to be here?'

As if to answer his question, a pillar of light erupted from the temple at the top of the stairs, the former Emperor looking up in alarm, even as a feminine cry of "MIKUJI!" tore through the air.

"Okay…that can't be normal." The teen deduced, cursing himself for not thinking to check the shrine, racing up the steps, internally praying that whoever built this thing hadn't been the one to design the Kururugi shrine, otherwise he wouldn't be in any state to do much other than gasp for breath when he got to the top.

A Girl's scream caused him to pick up his pace, his brow furrowing as he cleared the last few steps, relieved that it hadn't been that long to clear them, before racing off in the direction of the scream, unaware that, at that very moment, a certain blonde meatball-head was also racing up the steps, drawn by the sound of her friend's scream.

* * *

_Back with Rei..._

"Perfect" the redhead smiled, nodding approvingly at her Daimon minion, speaking up over the screams of the entrapped Miko "Mikuji, you take the Heart Crystal, I will search for others that may hold a talisman."

"Yes, Mistress Kaolinite." Mikuji nodded, the demon turning her attention back to the task at hand, intensifying the beam that was causing Rei so much pain, the Miko's screams increasing in pitch even as the redhead vanished again, the two unaware that they were being watched.

'What the hell is that thing?' Lelouch wondered, his eyes wide in disbelief as he watched the feminine, but clearly inhuman figure advance on the downed Miko 'What did she do to that girl?'

The teen cursed, wishing that T had thought to provide him with a weapon of some sort, preferably a firearm, as he could use it to attack and draw attention from his surroundings. Firearms had been illegal even BEFORE Britannia had invaded Japan, so it stood to reason that they weren't openly encouraged among locals here either.

So intent was he on the situation that he unwittingly stepped on a branch, letting out a curse as Mikuji whipped round, the Daimon's eyes narrowing in anger as she caught sight of him standing off to the side, revealing her ample cleavage, causing Lelouch to freeze, his eyes widening in a passable 'doe in the headlights' expression.

"Bad fortune to those who interrupt!" the Daimon hissed, whipping her head, sending the massive bell-rope attached to it flying towards Lelouch, who ducked, barely, his eyes widening as the massive rope actually uprooted a tree it slammed into.

"DAMN!" Lelouch swore, scrambling to his feet, trying to put as much distance between himself and the figure, realizing that he wasn't likely to get the thing to hold still long enough to use his Geass on it, only to swear as his back collided with the trunk of another tree.

The Daimon, or whatever the hell the woman had called it, leapt at him, literally hovering in the air with it's arms outstretched, fangs bared as it bore down on him like some sort of harpy, only to yelp in alarm as something rammed into the side of her face with the force of a freight train, sending the creature flying off to the side.

"What the-?" Lelouch wondered, looking around in confusion for the source of his salvation, only to blink as his wristband, which he'd ignored up till now, beeped mechanically, as if something had activated.

"Good grief…" a feminine voice muttered, Lelouch's eyes widening in alarm, as it was eerily similar to a certain witch's, complete with dry sarcasm "Here less than a day and already you're getting into trouble…T was right to send me along."

"C.C?" breathed, turning his head in the direction of the voice, half-hoping to see his immortal contractor leaning against a tree, smiling mockingly at him with her golden eyes, only to com face to mandibles with, of all things, a little mechanical beetle with three golden horns.

"Afraid not." The beetle mocked, its tone so eerily reminiscent of C.C's that Lelouch half expected it was a recording "T sent me along as your back-up."

* * *

Well, I hope that answered some more questions for you.

From the title alone, you should've figured I was going to us one of the Movie Riders, and who better for the Demon Emperor to don than the 'stronges' Rider of them all?

On that note, I'll be making some changes to Caucasus armor, and some liberties as well, but basically things will stick to the plot.

also for those of you wondering what else Lelouch has in that attache case, you're just going to have to wait and find out.

Pairings are pretty much decided, but if you have questions/suggestions, feel free to throw them at me. With any luck they'll stick.

R&R!


	3. Chapter 3

follwing up in rapid style, here's chapter 3.

Lelouch: That was fast. Godspeed almost.

Kyugan: GEASS speed you mean.

Lelouch: Please stop butchering the english language.

Kyugan: Oh stop, unless you wanna run around in heels and a tutu preaching love and justice for all?

Lelouch: You wouldn't dare.

Kyugan: You're right, I wouldn't.

C.C: *Comes out from behind Lulu with a bucket of water from 'spring of drowned girl* I would.

Lelouch: Wha-? *splutters as drenched in water* C.C? What the? *Notices change in voice and chest mss* GODDAMMIT!

C.C: *seizing a pair of handfulls* Wow...almost as big as Cornelia...Charles had good genes...

Kyugan: *In a trance* Arrru hairru Britanniaaaaaa...

Luluko: I hate you all.

* * *

The Mysterious Golden Warrior!

"T sent me along as your back-up." The golden, tri-horned beetle explained, it's voice laced with so much bemused mockery it was a wonder it wasn't smirking "I can see why, you certainly have a nose for trouble."

"Back-up? You?" Lelouch repeated, the former emperor literally thrown for a loop by the current situation. And could you blame him? One minute he'd been following a beacon that he suspected had something to do with what T had brought him back to life for, only to find what looked like a red-clad high-class prostitute overseeing a cross between a B-movie monster and a porn-star torturing a shrine maiden with, of all things, what looked like a laser fired from her breasts.

'I swear, it's like one of those anime that Tamaki used to watch when he was supposed to be on monitor duty.' The teen muttered, recalling walking in on the redhead during such moments numerous times in the past, as Zero that is.

He'd been contemplating how to deal with the situation, as T had neglected to supply him with any form of weaponry. Unless they were stored in the attaché case, which he'd left hidden in the sidecar of his motorcycle, all the way at the bottom of the steps leading up to the shrine.

In any case, the moment the redhead had teleported, honest to God TELEPORTED, off to wherever it was seductive evil redhead's in tight red clothes went, he'd been so deep in thought, so stunned by the sight before him (and of a pair of tits so readily exposed, though he'd never admit this aloud) that he'd inadvertently stepped on a twig, which had predictably snapped, drawing the monsters attention to himself.

Needless to say, the monster hadn't taken well to his presence, and had lunged at him, determined to beat the stuffing out of him, or silence him in a more PERMANENT fashion, though he noted she'd taken the time to refasten her clothing before doing so.

'I guess even monsters have a sense of feminine modesty.' He mused, even as he shook his head, staring at the source of his current salvation skeptically. True, he was glad the little golden bug had come to his rescue, as he was in no particular hurry to go back to the collective mind of C's world just yet, but he couldn't see how a little beetle, big enough to sit in his palm with room to spare, was supposed to help him against a monster that could fly, turn her hands and feet into weapons, and was strong enough to knock trees over with her HAIR.

Then again, he HAD seen the little bugger (pun intended) body-slam the Daimon, as the redhead had called it, out of the air, though admittedly, that had been more of a surprise attack, one he highly applauded it for. Sneak attacks were the Black Knight's forte before they became the official army of the UFN.

"Don't go daydreaming on me kid." The beetle chastised, snapping Lelouch out of his thoughts by flying up into his face, the teen flinching back, opening his mouth to protest, only to be cut off as Mikuji leapt to it's feet once again, the Daimon letting loose a roar of fury that was made all the more intimidating by the massive gashes on the left side of her face, as if something had clawed through tree bark.

"How dare you!" Mikuji snarled, the Daimon's features drawn back in a savage snarl of rage as she glared hatefully at the teen and his mechanical ally "Marring a woman's face! That's the WORST kind of Bad luck!"

"Seriously, is she like some evil fortune-teller or something?" Lelouch demanded, only to yelp, a decidedly unmanly sound as Mikuji bent over, revealing a fortune casket on her back, which fired off several wooden fortune spikes like a nail-gun, forcing Lelouch to duck behind a tree, out of sight.

"Oh yeah, REAL promising." The beetle muttered, hovering right beside the teen's ear as he caught his breath, peeking out occasionally to see if the monster was still walking towards him "If YOU'RE the best the doctor could find, I pray for the people of your world."

"Stuff it, witch." Lelouch muttered out of reflex, the former emperor not even bothering to correct himself, [eering warily around the trunk even as the gold bug buzzed irritably in his ear "What the hell is that thing?"

"A Daimon," the beetle explained, sounding mildly annoyed, though only just at being brushed asside so cavalierly by it's partnet "It's pretty much a monster created by combining a cultivated cell with an object or organism, in this case, a shrine tree."

"Great, so we got a killer plant with a parasite on our hands." Lelouch muttered grimly, the elder lamperouge grimacing as he ducked out of sight of Mikuji's fortune bolts once again, it was tht or loose an eye "Any weaknesses?"

"I'm not programmed with such functions." The beetle shot back primly, though Lelouch swore the little insect was playing hard to get on purpose "Generally you just need to destroy it, though they can take a lot of damage."

"How much damage?" Lelouch demanded, intrigued despite himself. After all, the more he knew about his enemy, the better prepared he could be.

"Pretty much resistant to small to medium arms fire." The beetle relayed "Bullets just bounce off them, they can survive intense radiation, though a large explosion can destroy them."

"And me without any semtex." Lelouch snarked, shaking his head wryly, even as he grimaced at the sound of the Daimon's approaching footsteps "So what do we do?"

"Hold it right there!" a female voice called out, Lelouch's ears perking up at the sound, the teen peeking out from behind the tree to gape at the sight before him along with Mikuji.

* * *

_scene break..._

"Warrior of Love and Justice…!" Usagi called out, the blonde having undergone her Senshi transformation when she'd heard Rei's scream, and was now going through her introduction pose "Sailor Moon!"

"Sailor Moon?" Mikuji repeated, the annoying little boy and his pet insect forgotten, for the moment, in the face of this new interloper. As much as she wanted to crush the pests for scarring her beautiful face, she could sense the power coming off the sailor suited blonde before her, and knew turning her back to her would be a VERY bad idea.

"I can't forgive you for hurting my Pure-Hearted Friend!" the leader of the Senshi and reincarnated Princess of the Silver Millennium declared, mentally crossing her fingers, for she knew first hand Rei wasn't exactly 'Pure' of mind, especially for a priestess "In the name of the Moon…I will Punish You!"

Mikuji, rather than being intimidated by the blonde's speech, merely scoffed mockingly, tilting her head over her shoulder to the comatose Rei "Fool, she was targeted BECAUSE of her Pure Heart!"

* * *

_With Lelouch... _

"So the Daimon's targets are Pure Hearts?" Lelouch muttered, the teen eyeing the conversation from his hiding place behind the trees, his brows narrowed in comprehension, even as the blonde blinked in confusion "I can see why she'd target a Shrine maiden then."

"Though naturally, it means someone like YOU is perfectly safe." The beetle teased, her tone laced with the same wry mockery that had made C.C such an aggravation and pleasure to converse with. For as much as he wished he could strangle the immortal woman sometimes, Lelouch had appreciated their conversations, using them as a means to develop his own caustic wit.

"Better an impure heart than no heart at all." The teen shot back, earning a slightly approving huff from the beetle, even as they watched Mikuji toss the blonde around like a wrecking ball using her bell-rope ponytail, slamming the wailing Senshi against the wall with a sickening crack "That had to hurt…"

"She's fine." The beetle countered uncaringly, her tone so reminiscent of C.C's dismissive nature that Lelouch fought the urge to stare at it "Despite the look, that suit that she's wearing is actually pretty resilient to physical damage."

"You're kidding?" Lelouch muttered, the former emperor sweat dropping as he pointed at the downed blonde, who was actually struggling to get up again despite the force of the blow "It looks like something you'd wear in a strip club!"

"It's true." The beetle persisted "You could shoot her point blank with magnum rounds and they'd just bounce off." She revealed, earning a look of amazement from the teen "Oh she'll still FEEL the shots, but that'd be it, maybe some mild bruising for more serious injuries."

"And here I thought the technological level for this world was LOWER than my own." Lelouch muttered, a little impressed by this Sailor Senshi's equipment, even if she DID strike him as more than a little scatterbrained.

"It's not technology, its magic." The beetle countered, earning a quirked brow from the former Emperor "Don't look at me like that, it's all there in T's files if you'd bothered your ass to read them!"

Before Lelouch could fire off a counter, three feminine screams filled the air, the teen looking up in alarm to see Mikuji unleashing a salvo of her fortune spears at three young women, a blonde, a brunette and a bluenette, pinning them to trees, causing them to scream in alarm "Damn! We have to do something!"

"Thought you'd never ask." The beetle hummed, a pleased little buzzing noise emanating from somewhere within it's body as it hovered next to his head "Press the button on your bracer," it urged impatiently "hurry it up!"

"Bracer?" Lelouch repeated, looking down at the strange device that T had fastened to his wrist, noticing a little button sticking out from the side.

"That's the one." The beetle instructed buzzing close to his head for emphasis "Quit wasting time and press it! That blonde idiot's about to be fertilizer!"

Lelouch looked up to see that Mikuji was INDEED marching towards the downed Sailor Moon, who was struggling to get back on her feet, the teen's eyes narrowing as he brought his wrist up, pressing the button as indicated, only to startle as it released a mechanized cry of "STAND BY!"

"About time." The beetle muttered, buzzing around Lelouch's body rapidly, actually circling the tree a few times, before homing in on his wrist, latching onto it with a cry of "HENSHIN!"

Lelouch blinked, looking on in alarm as his body, starting with the arm sporting the wristband, was covered with hexagonal metal panels, each piece interlocking as they spread across his body, forming a heavy suit of armor. "What the HELL?" he exclaimed, looking down at his now armored hands in alarm, reaching up to touch his now helmeted face "What is this?"

"Boy, T really chose a keeper didn't he?" came the female voice of the beetle over a speaker in his helmet, her tone torn between amusement and exasperation "You didn't bother to read the files, did you?"

"When the hell did I have TIME?" Lelouch shot back in annoyance, once again marveling at the beetle's similarity to C.C's, more accurately, her ability to invoke the former emperor's ire without fear of repercussion…permanent ones anyway, only to be forced out of his thoughts as the priestess' screams started up again, the teen looking up to see that Sailor Moon had been pinned to a tree, while the Daimon returned to it's prior task of extracting the Miko's 'Pure Heart', whatever that meant. "Damn! GET AWAY FROM HER!"

* * *

_With Sailor Moon..._

Sailor Moon could only look on in horror as the monster that had attacked Rei's succeeded in extracting the strange glowing gem from her friend.

Only moments ago, things had been going as usual. Sure, she'd had a rocky start, she usually did when fighting solo, as the Senshi generally looked to make an opening for her finishing attack, and being slammed into the stone wall that marked the border of the Hikawa Shrine's land hadn't done much for her admittedly lack-luster agility. Fortunately, her beloved Tuxedo Kamen, the reincarnation of her past life's betrothed, had once again come to her aid, hurling one of his magically enchanted roses to distract the Daimon, giving her enough time to charge up her Moon Princess Halatation, launching the destructive attack at the enemy's unguarded back.

However, Mikuji proved to be more alert than any Youma or Droid, as not only had she seen the destructive attack coming, she'd actually DEFLECTED it, with a wall of sutras, knocking the Princess wand out of a stunned Sailor Moon's hands, before launching herself at the Senshi, pinning her to a tree while her friends and lover looked on in shock.

But that wasn't the worst part, oh no, Mikuji, upon turning her hands and feet to stone, had latched onto the brooch that held the Ginzuishou, digging in deep with her fangs, before turning her entire face to stone and biting down HARD.

The magical gem of the Silver Millennium had gone berserk, flashing incessantly, before suddenly dying down, all it's brilliance apparently drained, the stunned Senshi unable to do anything but gape in horror as her Senshi amour dissolved back into ribbons, before her transformation wore off altogether, leaving her in her civilian form.

'How could this have happened?' she wondered, looking on in mute horror as the stone mask that had attached to her chest fell away, taking with it the now inactive Henshin brooch, which simply lay there on the grass, almost forlornly

"Is that the last distraction?" Mikuji demanded, sneering as she eyed her captives, having taken out Tuxedo Kamen, Artemis and Luna with her fortune restraints, the Daimon turning her attention back to the struggling Rei, even as she opened the gap in her dress once more "Then I shall take my time and extract the Pure Heart!"

Exposing the star tattoo over her cleavage once again, the Daimon unleashed another burst of dark energy at Rei, the priestess's back arching as her screams renewed, with increased intensity, as Mikuji was THROUGH playing around and wanted the damn crystal NOW.

After what seemed like an eternity, Rei's system had finally had all it could take, the priestess finally passing out from the agony, her head dropping lifelessly to her chest, eyes glazing over even as a bright red crystal was pulled out of her chest.

"Rei-chan…!" Usagi wept, her eyes filling with tears, recalling the last conversation she'd had with the fiery priestess not even an hour ago, how Rei had attempted to cheer her up, in her own fashion, regarding her abysmal grades and the upcoming entrance exams next year, her struggles increasing as Mikuji moved to grab the crystal "No! Give it back! Give it back to Rei-chan! I won't forgive you!"

"GET AWAY FROM HER!" a voice roared, the blonde's eyes widening in shock as a large form tore past her, startling Mikuji long enough to tackle her off her feet, the two of them rolling around in the dirt for a moment, only to separate with a clash, eyeing one another warily.

The new figure was tall, taller than Makoto, who was the tallest of the Senshi, and considerably broader, though that might have had something to do with the armor he was wearing across his body.

The armor was thick, colored gold with some silver accents. The left Shoulder guard was a silver dome, the right, however, had what looked like three horizontal spikes sticking out from under the silver casing, almost like something was fighting to get out. The helmet was also silver, though again, gave the impression that there was something else underneath, and his eyes glowed an ominous blue over his silver mouth guard.

The amour was apparently worn over a black bodysuit with armor plating on the sides of his legs, which while not as durable looking as the ones on his torso, kept the same gold and silver theme.

"Who are you?" Mikuji demanded, the Daimon glaring at this newest interloper, her initial surprse giving way to anger and wariness as she clutched the stolen Heart Crystal in her hand "What are you doing here?"

"I'm only going to say this once," the mysterious armored figure replied, his tone sending shivers down the collective Senshi's spines "Put that crystal back where you got it."

"Never!" Mikuji roared, lunging forwards with her clawed hands, one rather, as the other was stashing the Pure Heart Crystal inside her dress "Bad fortune to you all!"

The armored warrior simply side-stepped her strike, bringing his knee up to ram into the Daimon's stomach, actually doubling her over with the force of the blow, following it up by grabbing the monster by her bells and driving his knee into her face with a sickening crack that caused even the captive Senshi to wince.

"Who is this guy?" Artemis wondered, struggling to escape his restraints, even as he watched the new arrival smack the Daimon around like a rag doll "Think he's on our side?"

"Who knows?" Luna shot back, the black feline eyeing the newcomer warily. On the one hand, she was glad SOMONE was doing something to stop the monster escaping with whatever she'd pulled out of Rei, but on the other, there was no guarantee that this armored warrior was on their side either.

* * *

_With Lelouch... _

'This is…incredible…' Lelouch marveled, the former Emperor continuing his assault on the Daimon, delivering blow after punishing blow to her face and midriff, pointedly avoiding her chest, as he recalled that was where she'd stashed whatever it was she'd taken from the Miko 'Such power…'

"You're easily impressed." The beetle mused over the speakers in his helmet, Lelouch actually jumping at the sound, though he didnt stop pummelling his opponent "Honestly, you're like a child with a new toy, you didn't even bother to unwrap it first."

"What're you talking about?" Lelouch demanded, grimacing as a desperate slash from Mikuji raked across his chest plate, causing a shower of sparks "I seem to be doing fine."

"You haven't even activated the suit's full power yet." The beetle corrected, her tone bemused, so much like C.C's condescending bemusement that Lelouch almost felt himself start to smile "You won't be able to finish off a Daimon with just the Masked Form."

"Masked Form?" Lelouch questioned, quirking a brow as he ducked under one of Mikuji's wild swings, delivering a snap-kick to her midriff that slammed her into a tree ten feet back "What're you talking about?"

"See what happens when you don't read the notes?" the beetle teased, chuckling as Lelouch scowled inside his helmet "Think of your current form as an energy conservation mode, emphasizing in defense over offense."

"Seems pretty offensive to ME." Lelouch countered, watching as Mikuji staggered to her feet, holding her midriff and growling.

"You're not even using HALF of the armors full power." The beetle countered, her tone disapproving as Lelouch watched Mikuji warily "Until you Cast Off the excess armor, you won't be able to wrap this up before she makes a break for it."

"So you're saying I need to ditch the excess armor." Lelouch deduced, his tone grim as he moved into a ready stance "Alright, how the heck do I do that?"

"You see how I'm perched on your wrist?" the beetle instructed, Lelouch casting his eye to his wrist, where the Beetle was perched horizontally with his wrist, forming an X like shape "Turn me so I'm facing your fist!"

Lelouch didn't even bother asking why, he simply raised his wrist up, gripping the beetle in his left hand, turning it sharply so that the three horns were aimed at his fist, even as Mikuji lunged at him once again.

"CAST OFF!" the bracer declared, the silver sections of his armor disengaging violently, the captive girls screaming in alarm as the shrapnel impacted around them, some of it slamming into Mikuji, knocking her out of the air, sending her tumbling to the ground, leaving Lelouch standing tall in his new form.

The new armor was sleeker, vaguely insect-like in design, like a beetle's carapace, and a brilliant, shining gold. His left shoulder guard was a simple golden disk, but the right was adorned with three impressive looking golden horns, identical to the ones that adorned the beetle strapped to his wrist.

Even as he stood there, the blue eyes of his helmet flashed, revealing the three golden horns that framed his faceplate, two on either side, one in the center.

"CHANGE: BEETLE!"

* * *

_With the Senshi..._

"What…what on EARTH?" Luna exclaimed, her eyes wide with alarm as she gaped at the scene before her alongside the captive Senshi and Artemis "What IS that?"

"EEEK! It's a giant bug man!" Minako exclaimed, thrashing in her constraints fearfully, her skin crawling with hives "It's gonna lay eggs in our brains!"

"Minako chan, I doubt a Bug MAN can lay eggs." Ami stammered, sweat dropping at her friend's mistake, though she had to admit she was rather intimidated by their unknown assistant's new appearance "Still, why would he discard his armor? Won't that make it easier to hurt him?"

* * *

_Back with lulu..._

"Okay…" Lelouch admitted, the former emperor examining his armoured hands, looking down at his new, sleeker form with a hint of approval in his purple eyes "This is good," he applauded, rotating one shoulder loosely "easier to move in for one."

"Don't get cocky." The beetle warned, though her tone was amused at his obvious approval "The Rider Form is faster, and can do more damage, but conversely, you TAKE more damage than you would in Masked Form."

"Understood." Lelouch muttered, rotating his shoulder to loosen up, the Masked Form armor had been rather stiff to move in "Anything else you'd like to tell me? I'd like to finish this off quick before she tries to run."

"So impatient." The beetle sighed, chuckling in bemusement, only to recover admirably as Mikuji grunted, and moved to get up "To initiate a finishing move, simply reverse me so I'm facing the other way, that will initiate the Rider Beat System."

"Got it." Lelouch muttered, the armoured teen scowling at Mikuji as the Daimon slowly staggered to it's feet, the former emperor raising his fist once again, this time reversing the golden beetle so it faced the other way. "RIDER BEAT!" the brace declared, electrical energy racing over the outer layer of the armor, traveling up it and focusing on the helmet, the three horns lighting up even as the visor glowed an ominous blue.

Letting out a yell, Lelouch ran forward, the energy coursing through his body as he reared his arm back, the electrical energy gathering in his fist as he rammed it into Mikuji's stomach, the Daimon's eyes widening in alarm as she was sent flying through the air the front of her dress tearing open, the stolen Pure Heart Crystal landing safely in Lelouch's open hand.

"BAD FORTUNE!" the Daimon screamed, her back arching as she sailed through the air, before exploding in a burst of blue fire, the flaming wreckage of a sacred tree crashing to the ground in her place, a small, almost unnoticeable seed, dropping from it's trunk, cracking open to reveal a wailing black specter, which vanished into thin air.

"Okay…" Lelouch muttered, the former Emperor's brow quirking beneath his helmet as he eyed the smoldering remains of the tree, which was lay at least ten feet away from him "What the hell was that?"

"The Daimon's true form." The beetle replied solemnly over the speakers "A Daimon seed is all that's needed to turn something into a Daimon, be it a living organism or an inanimate object, it ll depends on the targetreally."

"Let's just hope they don't start putting them in Nukes then." Lelouch muttered grimly, the armored teen turning his attention to the crystal that he held in his other hand, staring at it in confusion for a few moments "Great, just how am I supposed to put this thing back?"

"You aren't." a new voice spoke up, Lelouch whipping round to see two feminine figures sitting in the branches of a nearby tree, having apparently been watching the entire exchange "Just give it to us and we'll handle that part."

* * *

And so we have Lulu's first battle.

Don't get me wrong, he isn't like Tendo Souji, he's not gonna just waltz in and beat the Tofu out of anything that crosses his path, and look stylish doing it. Lulu's still Lulu under there, he's gonna need to LEARN how to use the armour.

Also, for those of you wondering why I gave the Caucasus Zecter a voice, pure crack potential, Lelouch needs a partner, and the Zecters CAN talk, at least in the Hyper Battle Video, so I figured why not.

Regarding Lulu's armour, one glaringly obvious difference is the inclusion of a Masked Mode, which the Kabutech Zectors traditionally lacked in the movies. I'll admit to being influenced by Kamen Rider Chrome and Ten-Faced-Paladin once again on this one. Hwever, I kept the arm brace because it's just that epic.

As for how it works, remember how, in the movies, the Zectors attach at an angle, but need to be turned to transform? Well I took that and redesigned it to be more like Zabee's henshin sequence, where the masked mode forms when the Zector attaches itself to the henshin brace.

When the Kabutech Zectors attach, they're at an angle, making an 'X' shape, roughly, with the user's arm, this is Masked Mode.

When the Zector is turned so the horns point at the fist, this initiates Cast Off.

When the Zector is reversed to point at the wrist, this starts the Rider Beat system.

To my knowledge, Caucasus doesn't have any weapons by default 'he never needed them in the movie', but can use a Rider Punch and Rider Kick for his finisher.

Lulu's nowhere near as strong as Kurosaki was, so he's getting a little extra help in the form of weapons, which will be revealed as the fic goes on.

Luluko: I'm not wearing that!

C.C: But the fans demand it!

Luluko: I'll wear the Zero uniform but NOT that!

C.C: Fine *holds out Kallen's 'Zero' costume from Foxfire art's 'Zeroes'*

Luluko: WHAT THE HELL C.C?

R&R!


	4. Chapter 4

And Here's Chapter 4

Luluko: So help me C.C I'll do to you what I did to V.V in Tekka if you don't cut that shit out!

C.C: You imply I don't WANT you to.

Luluko: What?

C.C: You Kill me, I get my wish, you don't kill me, I get to keep teasing you. Either way, I won.

Lulu: -!

Kyugan: Oh stop, *Mutes Lulu* Seriously though, where'd you get the 'spring of drowned girl' water?

C.C: E-bay.

Kyugan: Should've figured.

* * *

Crystal Clear.

The Hikawa shrine had a long history of strange goings on. Dating as far back as the feudal era, the shrine's grounds had played to host to a number of exorcisms and meetings, dealing with both the spiritual and the factual in equal amounts.

In recent years, unbeknownst to the head priest, so far as his granddaughter assumed anyways, it had been used as a default base of operations and gathering point for the Sailor Senshi, since it was not only private ground, but there was little reason to question why a group of girls routinely visited such a place.

Currently, the Senshi were all assembled in the Shrine's garden, having initially gathered for a study session, only for such plans to fly from their minds as a new enemy, a 'Daimon, attacked Rei, otherwise known as Sailor Mars.

Naturally, the Senshi had come to her friend's aid, though for reasons beyond their control, none of them, with the exception of Sailor Moon, had managed to transform. The Reincarnated moon princess had faced off against this new enemy in a bid to rescue her friend and teammate, only for the Daimon to overpower her strongest attack, and then somehow negate her transformation by draining the supposedly limitless power of the Ginzuishou, which served as the source of her powers.

A startling development to be sure, but one that was put on the back-burner for now, as while the Senshi themselves had been incapacitated, a new warrior had appeared, effortlessly dealing with the previously unstoppable Daimon, finishing it off with a single, super-charged blow that could STILL be heard on the wind.

"Amazing..." Ami exclaimed, the bluenette looking on in wonder as the strange, beetle-like golden warrior simply stood there, gazing at the tree that had been their former enemy, as if intrigued by it "He took it down so easily!"

"You think he's on our side?" Makoto wondered, the tall brunette eyeing the taller golden figure warily, though not without interest. As the tallest of the Senshi, she was used to looking down on people, even the occasional enemy. It was surprising to meet someone she could speak to eye to eye.

"You think he's cute under the armor?" Minako asked, only to blink as the other two turned on her in exasperation "What? Just because he might be a bad guy, doesn't mean he isn't cute!"

"REI-CHAN!" Usagi called out, snapping the other Senshi out of their doze, the pigtailed blonde racing to her friend, who'd collapsed bonelessly to the ground the moment Mikuji's restraints had shattered upon their master's demise.

"Pull yourself together!" Usagi exclaimed, the hysteric blonde shaking the normally fiery priestess by the shoulders in a desperate attempt to revive her, even as the other Senshi ran up to her in concern "Open your eyes! Rei-chan! Rei-chan!"

While this was going on, the armored figure was staring at the smoldering remains of Mikuji, which had reverted back to a shrine tree.

* * *

_With Lulu..._

'So this was the Daimon's true form." the armored teen muttered solemnly, eyeing the smoldering wreckage of pulped bark, burning wood and ruined fortunes, his eyes narrowing as he espied the little seed that had been expelled after it's defeat "And you're saying THAT little thing is all that's needed to make one?"

"Do not look down on the Daimon's technology." the golden beetle warned him over a speaker in his helmet "The level of technology needed to create even ONE should be far beyond the technological level of the current society. Whoever the creator is, he's a certifiable GENIUS."

"Or a Certifiable Nut-job." Lelouch countered, smirking to himself as this earned a huff of amusement from the insect "Hell, the differences between the two often blur." he mused, recalling Lloyd Asplund and Rakshata Chawla in particular. Now there were two people with a decidedly skewed sense of ethics.

Shaking his head with a snort, the armored teen turned his attention to the glowing crimson gem that he'd retrieved from Mikuji before finishing her off, holding it up so he could get a better look at it. It resembled a geode, almost, and hovered like a glittering crimson snowflake in his palm, not quite touching him, simply hovering in mid-air.

'So this is a Pure Heart Crystal.' he mused, marveling at the beauty of the thing, even as he felt a strange sense of power washing over him the longer he held it 'I can see why they would want it, I can feel the power radiating off it without even touching it.'

"Hey!" a voice called out, the armored teen turning to find the five girls from before, plus a de-transformed Sailor Moon, looking up at him expectantly "That's Rei-chan's! Give it back!"

"Kind of the idea." Lelouch called back, turning towards them, almost insulted that they thought he was trying to steal the gem. Hell he didn't even know what the hell it was used for, for all he knew the Daimon used it as a food source.

"Please hurry!" the pigtailed blonde pleaded, looking up at him with big, watery eyes that sent a bolt of emotion through his heart "She's not breathing!"

"Alright, I'm coming." Lelouch muttered, shaking off the feeling even as he advanced on the group, looking down at the gem in his hands as he drew nearer "Any ideas on how to do this?"

"Why would you assume 'I' Know?" the beetle shot back, her tone bored, though there was a hint of amusement there "My only purpose is combat, what you do AFTERWARDS is YOUR problem."

"Witch." Lelouch muttered, more out of habit than anything else, shaking his head irritably even as he turned to regard the gathered teens "Look, does anyone here have any idea how to put this thing back?"

"You aren't." a new voice spoke up, the group tensing in alarm even as Lelouch whipped round to face the source of the voice "Just give it to us and we'll handle that part."

"Who's there?" Lelouch demanded as he peered around the supposedly deserted garden, his helmet's tracking system sounding off as he glanced up at a nearby tree, his eyes narrowing as he spied two figures sitting in the branches of a nearby tree, having apparently been watching the entire exchange.

From what little he could make out of them, the figures were feminine, evidenced by their long, shapely legs, which their ridiculously short skirts did remarkably little to hide. Other than that however, he really couldn't make anything else out, as they'd positioned themselves in such a way that their features, even the defining characteristics of their clothing, were hidden by the shadows provided by the tree. "Who are you?" he demanded, turning slightly to the side so that his body was between the observers and the Pure Heart Crystal "What do you want?"

"That's none of your business." the first figure shot back, her tone deep, almost husky, with a certain masculine undertone "Just give us the heart crystal."

"If the crystal doesn't have a talisman then we'll put it back." the second figure spoke up, her tone softer, and altogether more reasonable than the firsts.

"Talisman?" Lelouch repeated, eyeing the gem out the corner of his eye, an act disguised thanks to his features being obscured by his helmet "What Talisman? How are we supposed to know if there's even one in here?"

"That's what we need to check." the second voice explained patiently, holding up a hand to silence her partner "Rest assured, if it doesn't have one, we'll return it."

"And how am I supposed to trust you on that?" Lelouch shot back, his tone cold and analytical, causing the girls behind him to shiver "And supposing this DOES possess a Talisman, what guarantee do we have that you'll restore it then?"

"You have to give it back!" the pig-tailed blonde from earlier exclaimed, looking imploringly up at the armored teen and the shadowy figures "Rei-chan will die without it!"

"Look, we don't have time to argue about this!" the first figure said, quickly losing patience and standing up in the branches "Just give us the damn crystal!"

"Let me think about that..." Lelouch shot back, actually making a show of holding his chin, much to the beetle's amusement "A group of emotional schoolgirls who're concerned for their friend..." he turned his gaze towards the shadowy figures "or a pair of suspicious individuals who may or may not restore it depending on whether or not it's what they're looking for..."

He pretended to ponder on it for a moment, both sides tensing, wondering just whose side he would choose, before turning to the clustered teens, who couldn't help but gape in shock as he gently tossed the crystal towards them, the crimson gem hovering gracefully through the air towards Rei's chest.

"No!" the first figure shouted, actually moving as if to charge the group, only for Lelouch to step in front of them protectively, and her partner to lay a hand on her shoulder, holding her back.

"You're lucky I was close enough to sense the crystal." The second figure stated, her features impassive as she watched the crimson crystal vanish into Rei's chest "If there had been a talisman in it, we would have attacked you to keep it from slipping out of our hands."

That said, the pair turned, leaping out of the tree and dropping out of sight, moving too fast for the group to get a good look at their features or clothing.

* * *

_As the figures leave... _

"Charming pair, those too." Lelouch muttered dryly, watching as the duo took their leave as quickly as they'd made their entrance "What do you suppose they meant by 'Talismans' earlier?"

"It's all there in your files." the beetle replied primly, chuckling in bemusement as Lelouch swore at her under his breath "Don't stay up TOO late studying."

"Where's a can of Raid when you need one?" the armored teen muttered, ignoring the chuckles of the mechanical insect, turning as the pig-tailed blonde started wailing in relief, the priestess having apparently revived "I take it everything's alright then?"

"Y-yes," the bluenette exclaimed, a little startled by his voice, the group looking up at him in relief, while the Miko blinked up at him weakly, only for her eyes to widen in recognition.

"Y-You...?" she stammered, her eyes wide and her face pale, the group looking between them in confusion "You're...real?"

"You know him, Rei-chan?" the brunette wondered, looking between the two in confusion, as did the rest of their little group.

"I think it's time for a tactical retreat." the beetle opined suddenly over the speaker in Lelouch's helmet, her voice stern "We can't get too involved with the Sailor Senshi just yet."

"Bit late for that don't you think?" Lelouch whispered, not wanting to appear like he was talking to himself "Going to be a bit difficult sneaking out of here NOW."

"Tap the Clock Up pad on your right hip." the beetle instructed calmly, Lelouch glancing down to see the little cube shaped pad on his belt "They won't be able to keep up, trust me."

"Got it." he muttered, before turning to the gathered group of girls, raising a hand in a mock wave "Well, it was a pleasure to meet you all, but I have to run."

"W-Wait!" the priestess exclaimed, struggling to her feet, much to the surprise of the other girls, her hand reaching out for the teen's armored shoulder even as Lelouch's hand slapped the side of his belt.

"CLOCK UP!"

Lelouch had prepared himself for some sort of teleportation system, or even a flight mechanism, but when nothing happened after a few seconds, he found himself blinking in surprise at the sight of the priestess, her hand frozen in the act of reaching out to grab his shoulder.

"Impossible..." he muttered turning round and waving a hand in front of her face, marveling at the strange, echoing noise he seemed to make with each movement "Some kind of Time Control Device?"

"Hardly." the beetle corrected with a snort "The Clock Up system merely allows a Rider to move at speeds close to the Speed of Light. In contrast, everything else around is moving so slow it might as well be standing still."

"I see..." Lelouch mused, noting that the priestess WAS moving, just at a pace that would make Snails Olympic gold medallists "I see now why you told me they wouldn't be able to keep up with me."

"It's only got a limited timer." the beetle warned him, her tone amused "So unless you're planning on stealing a kiss, you might want to get a move on."

"Tempting, but no." Lelouch snorted, shaking his head in bemusement as he shot the group a passing look "They've had enough excitement for today I think."

So saying, he took off, moving at a brisk pace, leaving the girls behind as he made his way to the stairs, throwing his legs over the seat of his motorcycle just as his belt called out "CLOCK OVER!"

"Cut that a little close..." he muttered, blinking as the beetle detached from his wrist, the armor vanishing, leaving him in his normal clothes once again "Where you going?"

"I'll meet up with you later." the Beetle replied, her tone amused "I want to look around the city while you're reading those files like you were supposed to."

"Alright, alright I'll get on it." Lelouch swore, shaking his head in exasperation as he pulled on the Zero crash helmet, revving the engine of his ride and tearing off down the road "Damn, she really is like C.C, always has to have the last word."

* * *

_With the senshi... _

"Wait!" Rei exclaimed, reaching for the warrior's shoulder, wanting to question him, to ask him who he was, to thank him for his help, only to blink as, scant inches before she could touch him, he vanished with a mechanized cry of "CLOCK UP!" leaving her staring blankly at the spot he'd just occupied.

"EH!" Usagi squealed, the blonde pointing at the scene in understandable alarm "H-H-H-HE'S GONE! HOW'D HE DO THAT? IS HE A G-G-G-G-GHOST?"

"BAKA! He had FEET remember?" Rei snapped, glaring over her shoulder at the blonde, who blinked in recollection "Plus I doubt a ghost could have taken down that Daimon...whatever it was."

"Still...I wonder who he was?" Luna murmured, her features lined with concern as she gazed at the spot the strange warrior had occupied moments before.

"And those other two..." Artemis muttered, the white Mau's eyes laced with a hint of recognition, as if he were struggling to remember something that was on the tip of his tongue. Artemis memory of the Moon Kingdom was notably better than Luna's, for whatever reason, but that wasn't saying much, as the cats could only recall things when properly motivated, such as when pressed by the arrival of some new enemy. However, the Daimon, or whatever it was, had been something neither Mau had any recollection of.

The problem was, while the two shadowy females HAD raised a few alarms, the fact that this mysterious, gold warrior didn't, made the Senshi's advisers all the more wary.

"In any case." Rei muttered, taking a breath to center herself as she turned back to the others, Tuxedo Kamen stepping out of the woodwork, having finally managed to free himself from his restraints "It seems this new enemy is after peoples' Pure Hearts."

"Those other two said something about talismans being inside them..." Ami recalled, a look of concern on her face as Usagi's features fell.

"It looks like another battle's about to begin..." she murmured, clutching the silent Henshin Brooch to her chest, even as the faces of the others tightened at her words.

* * *

_Death Buster Lair... _

"Kaolinite..." a shadowy figure spoke, his features, save for his the light shining off his spectacles, and the leering red slash for a mouth, hidden from view "I understand that the heart crystal did not have a talisman."

"I apologize," Kaolinite offered, bowing her head sadly, ashamed at having failed her master so early in the game "I will be more careful in future."

"It would also seem we had an…unexpected interruption." the bespectacled figure noted, his smile in place, though his disapproval was obvious to his redheaded minion "Do you have any explanations?"

"I...am afraid I don't." Kaolinite admitted, her tone ashamed as she lowered her head, looking off to the side "That man in the golden armor...I've never seen anything like it before."

"Nor have I..." the figure muttered darkly, his features unreadable in the shadows, only for his creepy, Slasher smile to return after a moment's silence "Isn't this exciting, Kaolinite?" he asked, titling his back slightly so that he was staring at the ceiling, arms spread wide "Something that escapes even MY knowledge! I Cannot wait to see what this new player can do!"

"Shall we take steps to neutralize him?" Kaolinite wondered, waiting for the man's cackles to cease before daring to speak "I can mobilize thee Witches 5 at your command."

"No." the figure countered, his tone calmer, though the Slasher smile remained on his face "Focus your energies on locating those Pure Hearts which contain the Talismans needed to create the Holy Grail."

"And as for the man in the armor?" Kaolinite pressed, wanting to know exactly where her master stood on this latest development in their plans.

"Leave him for now..." the man replied, his Slasher grin widening as his glasses flashed ominously in the darkness of the room "I shall enjoy researching his capabilities, perhaps I may even develop new ways to improve the Daimon..."

"As you command, Professor." Kaolinite bowed, smiling respectfully at the man, before turning on her heel and walking off into the deeper part of the labs, leaving the clearly insane man to his twisted thoughts.

* * *

_MAny hours Lay-ter... _

"Yo..." the golden Beetle called out, zipping agilely through the air as it homed in on Lelouch, the teen looking up from his current task, which was going over the data included in the laptop T had provided "I see you found a place to stay, though I can't say much for your tastes."

"Say what you like." Lelouch countered, his tone dismissive as he sat at the abandoned desk, leaning back in a moth-eaten leather chair with a dismissive snort "It's cheap, it's private, and above all, it lets me remain off the grid."

After riding around for a while, he'd come across an abandoned manor house in various stages of disrepair, gaining access to it through a conveniently placed hole in the property wall, though he'd been forced to leave his motorcycle in the street, since the side-car was to big for it to fit through.

"Whatever you say." the beetle hummed, her tone dismissive, even as she landed on the table, her head raised slightly as she sniffed the air "What on earth is that god-awful smell?"

"Cats." Lelouch shot back, his tone bemused, even as a little brown kitten leapt onto his shoulder, rubbing it's head against his cheek "Apparently the stray cats in the area have made this place their home, obviously they haven't been spayed, so they marked everything that can't be eaten or played with."

"So long as they don't try marking ME that's fine." the beetle muttered, buzzing angrily at the kitten when it padded over to look at her, causing it to recoil sharply and retreat to Lelouch's lap, where a few deft strokes caused it to purr contentedly "You're surprisingly good with animals."

"I like cats." Lelouch admitted, recalling Arthur, the stray that he and Suzaku had rescued, which had been determined to have the Knight of Seven's fingers for lunch or die trying "I've always seemed to have a way with them for some reason, never really thought about it before."

"Well I hope you've been giving your mission some thought." the beetle murmured, rising from the table to hover next to Lelouch's ear, touching down on his shoulder to get a better look at what he was researching "Made any progress?"

"Some..." Lelouch admitted, bringing up several images "From what I can tell from T's research, the enemy aren't interested in the Pure Heart Crystals themselves, but rather are trying to locate three 'Talismans', which are supposedly hidden within three such Crystals."

"Sounds interesting." the beetle mused, in that same bored tone that C.C used whenever she wanted Lelouch to either elaborate or shut-up, it was always fun trying to find out which, and then blatantly ignore it.

"The Talisman's are as follows:" Lelouch revealed, bringing up the image of the respective talismans for the beetle to see "A Sword, A Mirror, and an Orb. If any of them are hidden in a Heart Crystal, they'll show some sign."

"Doesn't that basically mean you have to wait for the Heart Crystal to be removed before you can identify it though?" the beetle wondered, tilting her horns towards him "Isn't there a way to track them WITHOUT removing random crystals?"

"No, T's notes proved inconclusive in that regard." Lelouch countered, sighing in exasperation as he brought up the Heart Crystal research "However, it turns out in order to return the Crystals to their owners, all you need do is place it over their chest."

"I don't think the priestess would have appreciated that." the beetle teased, her tone wry, even as Lelouch snorted dismissive, shutting the case with a snap "Good to see you're keeping on the ball."

"Not quite," the former Emperor countered, turning to face the beetle "There's still one issue that needs to be resolved, namely what I'm to call you."

"Is that really necessary?" the beetle inquired, her tone giving the impression that, if she could, she'd be quirking her eyebrow at him "My classification data is in the files."

"I saw it." Lelouch admitted, his tone solemn as he steepled his fingers before his face, his purple eyes regarding the golden bug "Kabu-Tech Zecter Model 003, Codename: Caucasus."

"There you have it." the Zecter revealed, her tone prim as she buzzed off his shoulder and onto the desk "Why bother with a name when I already have one?"

"Because that's WHAT you are, not WHO you are." Lelouch countered, causing the golden beetle to look at him with interest "A name is more than a definition, it's something that is YOURS, something that sets you apart."

"I see..." the Zecter mused, the machine sounding intrigued by the teen's logic as she flew up to hover at eye level with him "So? What have you decided to call me?"

"Truth be told, you remind me of an old friend." Lelouch admitted, causing the Zecter to tilt in mid-air with interest "Both in voice and in attitude," he elaborated, a wry smirk adorning his features as the Zecter buzzed in amusement "Therefore I shall call you C3."

"C3..." the newly named Caucasus Zecter mused, rolling the word over in it['s processor, seeming to brighten slightly as time passed "I like the sound of it."

"Glad you do." Lelouch chuckled, wondering how C.C would react to her namesake if ever the two were to meet "Just don't go calling for Pizza whenever you want."

"What's a pizza?" C3 wondered, only to sweatdrop as Lelouch, for some reason, smiled gratefully at the ceiling whilst mouthing 'Thank You!' over and over again "Humans are weird..."

* * *

And we'll leave off there.

Like i was going to refer to a sentient machine simple as 'golden bettle', so here we have C3!

C.C: I'm a parent?

Kyugan: No, you're not.

C.C: (To luluko) do you count as the mother or the father i wonder?

Luluko: I hate you.

R&R!


	5. Chapter 5

Whoo...been a while for this one...

Luluko: Oh god...the pain!

C.C: Oh suck it up...

Kyugan: First period?

C.C: Several first periods.

Luluko: How can you women go through this all the time?

Kyugan: Just don't question it man...

* * *

Beware the Bad Cat

Deep within his laboratory, the shadowy, bespectacled figure grinned, the light of a Bunsen Burner lighting up his Slasher smile as he oversaw the cultivation of countless Daimon eggs. Like a man possessed, he stared into each individual phial, his smile growing ever more as he contemplated how each individual Daimon egg would develop into a monster capable of carrying out his plans.

"Kaolinite," he suddenly called out, though his attention never diverted from the all-important phials and test tubes before him, even as the redhead stepped out of the darkness behind him "Do you recall the purpose of our group, the Death Busters?"

"But of course Professor." the redhead replied confidently, dressed in a white lab-coat over her usual red leather outfit, her eyes locked on her leader's back admiringly "To obtain the Holy Grail and take control over The World."

"Indeed..." the professor nodded, chuckling approvingly, only to pause, raising a finger in the air for emphasis, though he never turned to face his redheaded assistant "And do you recall HOW were are to go about obtaining the Holy Grail?"

"By finding the Three Talismans that dwell within the Pure Hearts of the Chosen ones." Kaolinite revealed calmly and confidently "Once we have obtained those, the location of the Holy Grail will be revealed."

"Correct on all counts." the Professor leered, his Slasher smile stretching his face unnaturally as he continued his work, holding a phial containing a larva Daimon Egg in pink liquid over a burner "And for that, we must first cultivate the Daimon eggs..." he concluded, pouring the contents of the phial into a beaker of green liquid, looking on in twisted glee as the larva spasm, growing at an alarming rate, the beaker shattering, leaving a single floating seed hovering above it "into Daimon SEEDS!"

"Brilliant as always, Professor." Kaolinite applauded, marveling once again at the genius of her master as her cupped the glowing seed between his hands, the light illuminating his twisted smile, making it all the more intimidating "All that remains is to find the perfect Pure Heart that suits it."

"Indeed." the professor grinned, releasing the seed, which hovered to the ceiling of the darkened lab as if it had a mind of its own. Upon reaching the top, it promptly flew into an open pipe, traveling along it, making it's way towards the surface. "Kaolinite," the professor called out, his back still turned to the redhead as he turned his attention to the other Daimon Eggs, cultivating in their little phials "you know what to do."

"Yes, Professor." the redhead nodded, bowing respectfully, her lab-coat dropping to the floor as she vanished in a swirl of red, leaving the mad scientist to his research.

* * *

_Cat Manor..._

"Hey Mister!" a voice called out, rousing Lelouch from his slumber, his eyes opening to gaze blearily up at the figure above him "What are you doing sleeping up here?"

"Nunnally?" the teen murmured, blinking the sleep out of his eyes, only to stare at the cute brunette that was leaning over him in concern.

"Are you okay Mister?" the girl wondered, looking him over in concern as he slowly sat up off the moth-eaten couch he'd gone to sleep on the night before, scattering the cats that had piled on top of him for warmth.

"I'm fine..." he assured her, stretching tiredly, grimacing as he felt his back joints pop, only to smile as the dislodged cats poured into his lap, mewling plaintively until he began to scratch them behind the ears.

"You must really like cats mister..." the girl marveled, her tone laced with admiration as she picked up the brown one from last night with the dark brown ear "Do you live here?"

"As of yesterday..." Lelouch admitted, ending the last cat off with a scratch and a pat, rising from his seat, popping his lower back into place, before reaching down and scooping up his jacket, slinging it over his sleeveless tank-top shirt even as he eyed the girl "Now what are YOU doing here? This place isn't exactly child friendly."

"Hm? Oh! I just come here to feed the kitties!" the girl admitted, smiling as she held up a big bag of dry cat food, stocked full of all the vitamins and minerals that a stray would need if it wanted to remain healthy as it's pampered cousins "I found this place a while back, and have been coming here when I have time..." she slumped sadly "But now I heard that it's going to be torn down...where are all the kitties going to go then?"

"I wouldn't worry." Lelouch assured her, smiling confidently as he stroked a cat that had clambered onto his shoulder under it's chin "Cats are survivors, VERY self reliant. Hell the only reason they put up with humans is because we can open the cans of pet food."

The girl giggled, reaching up to tickle the curious kitten, only to blink as Lelouch strode past her towards the door of the house "Mister? Aren't you going to stay and feed the kitties too?"

"And spoil all your fun?" the former Emperor quipped, smiling at the girl as she was mobbed by the cats, who'd caught the scent of the cat food she was carrying "I've got work to do kid, but I'll be back later today if they're still hungry."

So saying, he stepped out into the light, closing the door behind him to keep any of the kittens from following him out into the street. "That was adorable." C3 noted, the golden Caucasus Beetle's tone amused as she flew in from wherever it was she'd been hiding "Seems you have a way with children too."

"Good morning to you too, C3." Lelouch greeted, refusing to be baited by the little mechanical bug he'd named after his wily contractor "Did you sleep well?"

"I don't need to sleep." C3 shot back primly, her tone catlike "I spent the night keeping watch, do you know how adorable you look when you're asleep?"

"I'm famous for it." Lelouch shot back smarmily, recalling the pictures Milly had put up on the school website of him dozing in a chair. The pics had sold like hotcakes for a week after, even though Lelouch had expressed opposition to his image being spread about. After all, it only took one picture to expose him to Villetta Nu.

"So what're your plans for today?" the Caucasus Zecter enquired, her tone neutral, though Lelouch could tell she was bored "Off to hunt for Talismans?"

"Off to hunt alright." Lelouch admitted, his tone bemused "But for gambling parlors, the kind that don't ask questions like ID or nationality preferably."

"The kind that usually wind up with some poor soul lying in a locker with a name-tag on his toes if he's lucky?" C3 wondered, sounding both scandalized and intrigued by the idea "You DO like to live dangerously."

"I try." Lelouch snorted, smirking wryly to himself as he made for the hole in the wall, only to pause at the most unusual sight of a man holding a kitten up for his girlfriend to kiss "Okay…that's new."

"Eh?" the girl wondered, blinking her eyes open just in time for the kitten to lick her lips with it's rough little tongue "EEEK! MAMO-CHAN!"

"Sorry!" the man chuckled, smiling as his girlfriend calmed down, promptly gushing over the little kitten, which Lelouch recognized as the one with the dark brown ear from the previous evening "Just a little joke, Usako."

"She's so cute!" the blonde gushed, Lelouch instantly recognizing her as the blonde from the shrine incident, the one that was also Sailor Moon if his memory served "Good girl!" she crooned, holding the kitten like a baby in her arms "Your fur's brown, so I'll call you Char-chan!"

'Certainly not what I'd expect from the leader of a group of Magical Girls.' Lelouch mused, quirking a brow at the girl idly 'Then again, I've only seen her in action once, and that wasn't the most stirring example.'

"Mamo-chan," the pigtailed blonde wondered, looking up at her boyfriend expectantly, her eyes wide with joy "did you bring me here because you wanted to show me this kitten?"

"Yeah, sort of." The man admitted, letting out a sigh as he looked around the ruined garden and building, his hands in his back pockets "This place is a home for stray cats."

"Understatement of the year." Lelouch chuckled, earning a look of confusion from the pair as he reached out and tickled the kitten under the chin, earning a purr of pleasure "It's like every nook and cranny of the place is stuffed with cats, place stinks to high heaven in some places since they've not been spayed."

"You sound like someone who's been here a lot." The man noted, quirking a brow at the younger man inquisitively "I don't remember seeing you around though."

"Lelouch Lamperouge." The teen replied, deciding to stick with his old alias for now, as it meant he wouldn't have to do much acting "I'm pretty much passing through, I crashed here the night before and the cats were nice enough to give me a room."

"Talk about being pussy-whipped." The man joked, earning a brief round of chuckles from the two, even as his date blinked between them in conclusion "Names Chiba Mamoru, this is my girlfriend, Usagi."

"A pleasure." Lelouch offered, offering a small smile and a polite inclination of the head to the pair, even as he thumbed over his shoulder "Just so you know, there's a kid in there feeding the cats right now, so you might want to take Char in for some before they scarf it all down."

"AH! Come on Char-chan!" Usagi exclaimed, hugging the kitten close as she literally raced into the derelict mansion "We'll get you something to eat!"

"You'd think SHE was the one who was starving." Lelouch mused, a little unnerved by how fast the girl could move when motivated.

"Usagi takes food VERY seriously." Mamoru admitted, chuckling weakly as he recalled several eateries and dessert shops the pair were no longer permitted to enter as a result "Well I'd better go make sure she stays out of trouble." He sighed, smiling at Lelouch as they parted ways "Nice meeting you, Lamperouge-san."

* * *

_As the couple race off..._

'Nice couple.' Lelouch noted, walking through the hole in the wall, making his way slowly to where his ride was parked on the street 'Weird hairstyle though, reminds me of spaghetti with meatballs.' He snorted wryly 'How she hasn't been discovered running around with her hair done up like that is beyond me.'

Shrugging to himself, the teen mounted his machine, putting on his helmet before kicking the engine to life, taking off down the motorway towards his destination, which was only a few blocks from here by bus. 'Looked like an apartment complex.' He muttered, recalling what little he could of the layout he'd pulled up before setting out 'Whatever it is, there's a Daimon Seed somewhere inside, and I'm NOT relishing having to break into other people's homes.'

Cursing as he pulled up behind a massive cue of cars, the teen reached down to his laptop, wondering if he could take an alternative route to get to the building, though who knew how long THAT might take.

"C3." He called out, not even turning his head as the golden Caucasus Zecter pulled up alongside his helmet, easily keeping pace with the motorcycle "Could you infiltrate the apartment complex and see if there's anything weird going on?"

"Already on it." the gold bug offered, performing a barrel roll in the air, before buzzing off in a flash of black and gold, racing on towards their target while Lelouch tried to find a way around whatever was holding up traffic.

'Looks like some poor stiff got hit by a car.' He noted, looking on impassively as the crowd freaked up ahead, several students clustering around the scene of the crime 'Tough shit but not my problem, if I don't get to that Daimon before it attacks its victim…'

* * *

_With C3..._

C3 cleared the distance to the apartment building in record time, having already uploaded the data via a link between her GPS and the computer in Lelouch's attaché case.

The Caucasus Zecter had to admit, she was rather pleased with her partner, even if he DID need a nudge in the right direction from time to time. He was witty, clever, polite, and yet a subtle layer of caustic wit that was simply fun to step through, like a literary minefield just waiting for either side to stumble into.

'And he really does look adorable when he's sleeping.' She admitted, already making a not to uplink the images recorded in her memory banks to the laptop for later viewing.

But enough about that, she had a job to do, and that was to check out the apartment building where the computer had detected the signal of a Daimon Egg. Bad enough there were several rooms per floor, but they didn't even have a rough estimate of WHICH side of the building to start from.

'I COULD just burrow through the walls…' the Zecter reasoned, eyeing the walls of the structure offhandedly, only to sigh in relief as she espied an open bedroom window and buzzed towards it. Not that she had any confidence that she'd find the damn thing on her first try, but you had to try somewhere.

'Nice room.' She thought approvingly, buzzing around the small space, taking in how neat and tidy it was, as well as the numerous pictures of cats 'Honestly, what do people see in those things? They're fussy, the shed all over the place…'

She paused, buzzing animatedly as she picked up the faint sense of something amiss as she flew over the desk, where an unfinished picture of a white cat lay. 'It's close…' she muttered, hovering over the desk in confusion 'I can feel the Daimon Egg's presence it's definitely in here somewhere…'

The sound of the door unlatching forced her to fly up, hiding on a shelf to avoid being detected by whoever owned the room.

'Isn't that the girl who was feeding the cats?' she wondered idly, the golden beetle looking on with interest as the little girl that had roused Lelouch from his slumber stepped into the room, two little kittens, obviously from the house, bouncing in after her.

"It's only until mama comes home okay?" she told the kittens, who mewled playfully before leaping in to explore her room "Ah! Please stay out of trouble!"

'She's a good kid…' C3 mused, watching as the girl struggled to keep the kittens under control, or at least keep them from hurting themselves or damaging anything. Had the Caucasus Zecter possessed a mouth, there was little doubt she'd be smiling warmly at that moment.

"Please don't jump on the bed!" the girl chastised one kitten, only to look round in alarm as the other leapt from her table-top, knocking several jigsaw pieces to the ground "Ah! I was in the middle of this!" she exclaimed, stepping over hurriedly and scooping up the pieces before the kittens took it into their heads to eat them. They WERE roughly the same size as the cat food pellets after all.

"Let's see…" she murmured, putting the pieces that had been knocked loose back into place, before picking up one that had been on the floor "Does this go here?" she wondered, placing the piece into the gap in the white cat's body, finally completing the picture "I did it!" she exclaimed, only to yelp, staggering back from the desk as the jigsaw suddenly began to glow.

'She did it alright!' C3 exclaimed, looking on in alarm as a human face appeared on the surface of the jigsaw, rising from the glowing board, forming a human-shaped body 'She released the Daimon!'

"Nekonneru-!" the Daimon exclaimed as she was formed, the little girl stumbling to the floor in alarm, even as the monster leapt from the desk, landing before the girl with feline grace. Her skin was purple with a texture that implied it was covered with sleek fur, she wore a white, strapless sundress that came to a halt above her knees, with several brown and black spots, reminiscent of a tortoise-shell and white cat. Around her wrists ankles and neck were bells like those found on a cat's collar, and two cats ears perched on top of her head.

"Nell!" the Daimon purred, standing over the terrified girl and her kittens with a look of feline pleasure, like a cat that's cornered a trio of mice "I will now take that Talisman you carry inside your Pure Heart, Nell!"

The girl ran, ducking under the Daimon's lunge and racing for the door alongside the kittens, Nekonneru struggling to pull her claws out of the girl's mattress. "You won't get away Nell-Nell!" the catgirl Daimon declared, lashing out with her tail, which wrapped around the girl's neck like a snake, only to yelp as something small and golden flew out of nowhere, cutting the limb off before buzzing around her head angrily.

"RUN!" C3 called out, buzzing around the Daimon's head like an enraged wasp, Nekonneru letting out a feline yowl as she tried to swat the golden beetle out of the air, only to look up as the door to the apartment closed behind the girl.

"NYOWR! You won't escape Nell-Nell!" she exclaimed, forgetting the Caucasus Zecter as she raced for the door, the fallen section of tail becoming jigsaw pieces which re-attached to her tail as she ran past.

"So this one can regenerate…" C3 noted, buzzing in the air with a concerned tone as she flew out the window, hoping to beat the feline to the girl "That might prove to be a problem."

* * *

_Cat Manor..._

"I wonder if she's already come today?" Usagi wondered, the blonde girl lookin around in confusion as she sat on the rusty swing which rested in the garden of the derelict mansion, smiling at the brown eared kitten that was playing with her hand "There, there, Char-chan."

"They're so cute!" Rei exclaimed, smiling as she picked one up, while even the normally reserved Ami tickled one lucky tom on the tummy "They make me want to ask Grandpa to see if I can keep one of them!"

"Not just one Rei-chan!" Usagi countered, looking at her friend disapprovingly with a hurt expression on her face "Take all of them!"

"Usagi-chan…" Makoto chuckled, patting the well-meaning blonde on the head "This isn't a Supermarket Bargain Sale you know."

"Sorry!" Usagi giggled, rubbing the back of her head in embarrassment, only to blink as Char, who's head had perked up at some distant noise, leapt out of her lap and ran off "Char-chan?" she blinked, looking on in confusion as all the kittens suddenly ran for the house "I wonder what's going on?" she asked, only to look up in alarm as a girl's scream filled the air.

"Come on!" Rei yelled, the Five Senshi, well Four technically, as Usagi still couldn't transform after Mikuji drained the Ginzuishou, racing into the building, arriving just in time to see a tall purple woman with feline features swat the poor kittens off her with a feline hiss.

"Another Daimon!" Usagi exclaimed, looking on in horror as the feline fiend turned her attention back to her target, the little girl she and Mamoru had met feeding the kittens earlier that morning, lifting her skirt to reveal the black star tattoo used to remove the Heart Crystals on her leg. Grimacing as the girls screams started up again, the blonde leader of the senshi looked down at the lifeless Henshin brooch that was clenched between her palm "Maybe…" she whispered, willing the gem to work "Just maybe I can…!" she raised the brooch above her head "Moon Crystal Power! MAKE UP!"

She stood for a moment, the gem raised over her head, only to collapse to her knees in disappointment, as the Ginzuishou refused to power up. "Let's go everyone!" Rei exclaimed, unable to watch anymore, recalling all too well how painful the heart extraction process was, and not wanting the poor child to suffer through it one second longer "Mars Star Power!" she cried, snatching her Star Pen out of the air.

"Jupiter Star Power!" Makoto yelled, the brunette reaching one hand into the air to catch her own Star Rod, eager to get into the action.

"Mercury Star Power!" Ami cried, the shy bluenette doing the same, driven to action by the sight of the poor girl's suffering.

"Venus Star Power!" Minako cried as she grabbed her own Rod, the guardian of Love refusing to allow the Pure Heart of one so innocent and kind to be stolen.

"MAKE UP!"

* * *

_Inside the Manor..._

"This time we'll get the Talisman for SURE, Nell!" Nekonneru purred, the feline fiend licking her lips as she watched the poor girl go limp.

"We won't let you do that!" a quartet of voices declared, the Daimon turning to find the Sailor Senshi, sans their leader Moon, standing off to the side with disapproving glares, already going through the motion for their signature attacks.

"BURNING…!" Mars declared, spinning round and summoning several spheres of fire, within which were written Buddhist scriptures "MANDALA!"

"SPARKLING…!" Jupiter declared, electricity charging in her hands as she reared back as if to hurl it like a baseball pitcher "WIDE PRESSURE!"

The two attacks launched at the Daimon, joining in midair, creating several electrically charged fiery rings. Nekonneru merely smirked, turning her back to the senshi and lashing out with her tail, deflecting the attacks right back at the stunned Guardians of Love and Justice.

When the dust cleared, the Senshi lay dazed and groaning on the ground, having been blasted through a wall from the explosion. "Everyone!" Usagi exclaimed, looking on in horror at how soundly her friends were defeated, reminded all too well of her own defeat at the hands of Mikuji, racing out to prevent the Daimon from likewise removing her friends powers, heedless of Artemis and Luna's cries for her to stay where she was "STOP!"

Nekonneru merely lashed out with her tail again, sending the blonde, and the two Mau, flying through the air to crash into a wall. "Nobody will get in the way NOW, Nell!" she declared, purring contentedly as she turned her attention back to her target, once again revealing her Black Star Tattoo "Nell, Nell, Nell-!"

She was cut off, this time by a familiar golden bug as it literally punched through the wall, buzzing around her head, causing her to yowl in anger as she stopped what she was doing to cover her ears.

"What?" Usagi wondered, looking on in dazed confusion at the sight of Daimon cowering under the assault of what appeared to be a golden beetle "A bug?"

"How pathetic…" a voice called out, Usagi looking round from her spot against the wall to see a tall figure, a man by the sound of his voice, walking out of the shadowy doorway that led deeper into the mansion, his hands in his pockets, features hidden by the gloom of the house "I came thinking that it might be a serious threat, instead I find a dumb animal that doesn't know it's place."

"Who the Nell are you?" the Daimon hissed, grimacing as she was forced to cover her ears and face from the onslaught of the little golden bug.

"Someone who doesn't appreciate monsters like you picking on sweet little kids." The figure shot back, his tone grim, causing Usagi to shiver "I have some questions for you Daimon…and you WILL answer."

* * *

And we'll leave off there for now.

C.C: Aww...

Luluko: Dammit, I wanna see some action!

Kyugan: Dude, you're fighting Suzaku as a Tekkaman in Code Tekka, how much more action do you want?

Luluko: More NOW dammit!

Kyugan: As you wish *snaps fingers, only to blink as masculine screams erupt through the halls* The hell?

C.C: (Looks downh to see she's a guy.,..again) This has...potential...

Sound of angry footsteps: KYUGAN!

C.C: That sounds like Kallen's older brother.

Kallen: (Bursts in, looking like a spikier, buff version of Naoto) What did you... *sees luluko* do?

Luluko: Whimper...


	6. Chapter 6

Picking up where we left off.

Luluko: This sucks...

Kallen: Deal with it.

C.C: why aren't you cuddling?

Kallen: GET THAT CAMERA OUT OF MY FACE!

* * *

Usagi's New Transformation!

Usagi blinked, looking on in confusion as the scene before her continued to unfold. She and he friends had come to the abandoned mansion Mamoru had brought her to, the blonde determined to convince the other Senshi, or at least those without cats of their own, to adopt as many of the stray kittens as they could.

However, their little trip was cut short, as a Daimon had turned up, attacking a little girl that regularly came to feed the kittens, intent of stealing her Pure Heart Crystal, just as Mikuji had almost done to Rei the last time one had shown up.

The other Senshi had promptly transformed, leaping in to challenge the monster on their own, as Usagi was still unable to activate her own powers due to whatever Mikuji had done to the Ginzuishou.

However, Nekonneru, as the Daimon was called, appeared to be just, if not MORE powerful, as her predecessor, deflecting Mars and Jupiter's combined, strongest attacks right back at the Senshi, the resulting explosion laying the warriors of Love and Justice out cold, leaving Usagi to face the monster alone.

Well, not EXACTLY alone, Artemis and Luna were there as well, but the Mau weren't combatants, didn't even POSSESS any offensive capabilities, unless of course they got close enough to use their claws, which as the poor kittens that had assaulted the Daimon earlier could attest to, was a useless endeavor.

Just as things were starting to look their worst, a golden beetle, of all things, had punched through a nearby wall and started attacking the Daimon, actually forcing it to defend itself under the sheer speed and ferocity of the attacks.

But what truly grabbed Usagi's attention was the man that had stepped out of the inner recesses of the house, his features obscured by the gloom of the house, hands in his pockets, demanding that the Daimon answered any and all questions he asked, in a tone of voice that sent shivers down the blonde's spine, causing her tummy to flutter in a manner she'd only ever associated with Mamoru, or rather Tuxedo Kamen, whenever he gave one of his moving speeches.

"You think you're so cool, hiding in the shadows, Nell?" Nekonneru hissed, the Daimon demanded, smiling mockingly, like the cat that got the canary, at the figure, even as she continued to hide her features "I can see you perfectly Nell!"

"Ah yes, I forgot that cats have night vision." The figure recalled, though going by his tone it was clear he wasn't really concerned with the Daimon being able to see his features, if anything, he almost sounded PLEASED "That's convenient…for ME that is."

Usagi blinked in confusion, wondering what on earth the man sounded so pleased about, looking on with interest as he brought his right hand up as if to cover his face, moving it across his eyes, which flashed a sudden, bright crimson in the darkness.

"Now…" the man demanded, his tone regal, laced with absolute authority as he glared into Nekonneru's startled crimson eyes "Answer my questions, who are you working for? Why are they hunting the Talismans?"

Nekonneru blinked, looking startled by the man's audacity in demanding such a thing from HER, only for he features to go slack, her arms dropping to her sides as she gazed blankly ahead.

"I serve Kaolinite-sama of the Death Busters, Nell…" the feline fiend revealed, her tone dazed, as if she were in a trance "We're hunting the Talismans in order to obtain the Holy Grail, Nell…"

"Death Busters?" Usagi wondered, looking both alarmed by the current situation and confused at how willing the formerly fiendish Daimon was giving up information "Holy Grail?"

"Now we're getting somewhere…" the figure muttered, his crimson eyes narrowing as he continued to peer into Nekonneru's, "And those other two, the ones who are also looking for the Talismans, are they with you?"

"No, Nell…" Nekonneru countered, her tone as dazed as ever "They are an unknown variable, Nell. Kaolinite-sama has ordered us to avoid them if possible, to keep them from interfering with our mission, Nell."

"Which means they're following their own agenda." The figure muttered, his eyes narrowing in suspicion at this revelation "Looks like I was right not to trust them."

"Is that all the questions you needed, Nell?" Nekonneru asked, gazing straight ahead, her head tilted to the side in a feline expression that would have been cute were she not a purple-furred, suggestively dressed monstrosity.

"Yeah, that will do for now." The figure admitted, waving his hand in front of his face once again, the crimson light of his eyes vanishing once more "You've served your purpose, time to put the cat out."

"Nell?" Nekonneru wondered blinking in confusion, as if coming out of a trance, glaring at the teen before her mockingly "You think you can take ME out little boy?"

"In a word…?" the figure replied, raising his right hand, revealing a mechanical bracer attached to his wrist, his left hand coming up to press the button there "Yes."

"STANDBY!" the bracer announced, Usagi looking on in amazement as the golden beetle, which had been buzzing around Nekonneru, abandoned it's assault on the Daimon, now buzzing excitedly towards the teen, circling around his form a couple of times. As it did this, the teen dropped into a martial arts stance, one foot behind the other, both knees bent and his fists at his sides.

"Henshin!" the figure declared, stepping forwards with his right foot, knees still bent as he brought his right fist up to cover his face, the golden beetle latching onto the bracer adorning his wrist with a mechanized cry of "HENSHIN!"

"What?" Usagi exclaimed, looking on in surprise as hexagonal plates began to cover the man's arm, traveling along his entire body until he was covered in a familiar suit of gold and silver armor "That's-! From the other day-!"

* * *

_Henshin a go-go baby!_

"Who the Nell are you?" Nekonneru demanded, the Daimon's eyes widening in alarm as the warrior's transformation finished, having been programmed to be wary of the strange armored warrior that had readily defeated her predecessor.

"Your worst nightmare." Lelouch called out, the armored teen lunging forwards, catching Nekonneru by surprise as he rammed his armored fist into the Daimon's face, sending it flying down the narrow hallway, away from the girl, who was starting to come round.

"Where-?" she wondered, looking up in confusion, only for her eyes to widen in alarm as she gazed up at the armored warrior in gold and silver.

"It's alright." Lelouch assured her, kneeling down and patting her reassuringly on the head with his armored hand "I'm here to take care of the monster."

As the girl calmed down, he turned his attention to the side his blue visor locking onto the blonde girl from this morning, Usagi if memory served, who was gaping at him, torn between surprise and confusion. "Get her out of her." He ordered, not waiting for a reply as he turned to the girl "Go with the pretty girl okay? She'll get you to safety."

"W-Wait!" Usagi exclaimed, her face lighting up at the compliment, even as she looked at the armored warrior on confusion "Who are you?"

"A friend." Lelouch replied, only to scowl as Nekonneru came racing at him, hissing furiously with her claws extended "MOVE!" he ordered, shoving the confused little girl into the blonde's arms, turning round to meet the feline fiend head on, only to curse as her claws scraped against his armor "DAMN! She's faster than the other one!"

"More agile too…" C3 noted over the speakers in his helmet, her tone amused "Looks like you aren't as good with animals as you thought."

"Animals I can deal with…" Lelouch snorted, turning on his heel, delivering a snap kick that smashed Nekonneru into a wall "WOMEN are a completely different story."

"You sheltered little boy you…" C3 teased, her tone bemused even as her partner continued to battle the Daimon "What, you never touched a girl before? I could teach you a few things."

"I think I'll pass on getting advice on my social life from a bug." Lelouch scoffed, driving Nekonneru off with a punch to the gut, which he followed with a kick that he knew she'd avoid, only using it to get some space to reach for his Zecter "Cast Off!"

"CAST OFF!" the bracer declared, the armor disengaging as the Caucasus Zecter was aligned with his fist, the silver segments blasting off, smashing into the walls, and the startled form of Nekonneru, revealing the sleeker Rider Form beneath "CHANGE: BEETLE!"

"Nell!" Nekonneru wailed, staggering upright, holes in her body where the armor pieces had blasted through it "How the Nell did you do that?" she demanded, even as the pieces that had been knocked out began to return.

"Trade secret." Lelouch shot back, his tone mocking as he raised his hands, gripping the Caucasus Zecter once again "Not that it matters to you…" he muttered, turning the Zecter round to face the other way.

"RIDER BEAT!" the bracer declared, Tachyon energy racing from the bracer, lighting up the panels of the armor before focusing on the horns of the helmet, the blue eyes of his visor lighting up ominously as he lashed out with a savage kick that smashed into the Daimon, shattering her into countless puzzle pieces.

* * *

_As Nekoneru goes to pieces..._

"Amazing…!" Usagi breathed, looking on in wonder as the golden warrior once again easily vanquished the monster that not even four of the Sailor Senshi could take on "He's so strong-!"

"Sugoi-!" the little girl exclaimed, looking on with stars in her eyes as the Golden warrior lowered his leg, dusting off his hands after defeating the monster that had suddenly attacked her in her room "He's so cool! Isn't he Neechan?"

"He certainly is impressive…" Sailor Mercury opined, the bluenette grimacing slightly as she pulled herself to her feet, though she managed a weak smile at the girl "I've never seen armor like that before."

"I've never seen someone that STRONG before." Jupiter opined, the tall brunette marveling at how easily the Golden Warrior had defeated the Daimon that had blocked her strongest attack with it's TAIL of all things. "I wonder what he'd be like to spar with?"

"I wonder if he's cute?" Sailor Venus wondered, smiling shamelessly as the other Senshi stared at her "Hey, he's helped us out twice now! He can't be an enemy, right Mars?"

"Y-yeah…" Mars murmured, the fiery senshi nodding uncertainly as she turned her attention to the armored man before her. TWICE now he'd appeared when the Senshi were on the verge of defeat, twice now he'd defeated the foe they'd been unable to so much as scratch.

'Who is he?' she wondered, lost in thought as the others berated Venus for her flirtatious ways, in front of a CHILD no less 'Is he really an ally? He stood against the oncoming Silence when the lights abandoned us, but I've never seen anything like him before…'

"He's coming this way!" Venus exclaimed, snapping Mars out of her thoughts, the Fiery Senshi looking up to see the Golden Warrior walking towards them, his stride slow and purposeful, though laced with a kind of grace that spoke of confidence.

"Everything okay over here?" he called out, stopping several feet away, his blue visor looking over them all, lingering on Usagi and the girl he'd rescued longest.

"F-Fine!" Usagi assured him, rubbing the back of her head nervously a she laughed, sweatdropping at how awkward this sounded "You really cleaned that things clock!"

"There's more than one way to skin a cat." The warrior replied, the little girl flinching at the analogy, as did Luna and Artemis "Sorry, bad choice of words there. At least nothing happened to you."

"Yes, thank you again for your assistance." Mercury offered, the bluenette stepping forward with a hand over her brooch for emphasis "We would have been in dire straights if you hadn't shown up."

"It was nothing." The warrior assured them, only to pause and turn round as something rustled in the background, the Senshi following his gaze, only for their eyes to widen in alarm at the sight of the countless jigsaw pieces that Nekonneru had shattered into began to reform, the Daimon posing before them with a catlike smirk.

"Damn thing must have nine lives." The warrior muttered, turning to face the Daimon head on with a growl, only to jolt as something slammed into him from behind, sending him smashing through a nearby wall.

* * *

_Senshi POV..._

"What was THAT?" Usagi exclaimed, the blonde looking around in alarm fro the source of the blast, only to let out a cry of alarm as Nekonneru leapt at them, swatting the Senshi aside with her tail, which had multiplied, before towering over the blonde as she tried to shelter the crying girl.

"No more interference Nell!" the Daimon hissed, grabbing Usagi by the hair and hurling her across the hall, before turning to the trembling girl, lifting her skirt and exposing the black star tattoo "I'll take your crystal now NELL!"

The little girl screamed, her back arching as the beam lanced into her chest, her head shaking as she tried to fight the invasive presence that felt like it was tearing her apart from the inside. But she was weak already from the earlier attempt, and so passed out much quicker than she had before, her heart crystal emerging from her chest to hover in mid-air before her.

"About time damn time, Nell." Nekonneru hissed, swiping out with her claws, scooping the crystal out of mid-air, even as Usagi looked on helplessly from the floor "I've kept Kaolinite-sama waiting long enough, Nell!"

"W…wait…" Usagi called out, struggling to her feet, using the wall for support. Nekonneru sniffed at her mockingly, turning on her heel to walk off, only to hiss as a projectile rose lashed out, slicing her across the wrist, forcing her to drop the stolen Heart Crystal.

"Who the NELL?" the Daimon snarled, looking around angrily for the source of the assault, only to find herself looking up at a tuxedo clad figure perched atop an open window.

"Those who would play with Pure Hearts will one day be tried by Pure Hearts themselves." Tuxedo Kamen called out, his eyes narrowed behind his mask as he held another Rose at the ready.

"Tuxedo Kamen-sama!" Usagi exclaimed, looking up at Mamoru's alter-ego in relief, her beloved leaping down to stand before her protectively, even as Nekonneru lashed out with her tail, which split into five parts, which converged into a strange drill.

"Stand back." Tuxedo Kamen ordered, reaching into his jacket, withdrawing his trusty extending cane, thrusting out with it like a rapier, the tip extending as it pierced trough the tails, reducing them to puzzle pieces, even as he effectively pinned Nekonneru against a wall. For a moment it looked like the feline fiend had been defeated, the tip of the cane having buried itself in her gut, only for Nekonneru to raise her head and lick her lips, the Feline Fiend snapping the cane in half with her bare hands.

"DAMN!" Tuxedo Kamen swore, stepping in front of the defenseless Usagi, shielding her and himself with his cape, only for Nekonneru to leap at them with her claws, shredding the cape and knocking his mask from his face.

"Tuxedo Kamen-sama!" Usagi exclaimed, looking at her beloved in alarm as he dropped to one knee, eyes wide with concern at the sight of the massive rips in the man's normally flawless tuxedo.

"Run…Usako…!" Mamoru ordered, raising a rose in his hand, charging it with his magic as he hurled it at the advancing Daimon, catching her in the head and forcing her back with a yowl of pain "Now! At the very least, YOU need to get out of here!"

"I can't do that!" Usagi countered, taking her beloved's clenched hand in both her own, her eyes filled with emotion as she peered into his own "I want to protect everyone! My friends…my precious Mamo-chan…" her eyes turned watery "I want to fight with everyone!"

"Usako…" Mamoru breathed, the reincarnated prince of earth looking into his beloved's eyes, taking both her hands in his as they got to their feet, seemingly heedless of Nekonneru's advance, the Feline Fiend lunging at them with her claws outstretched.

"USAGI-CHAN!" Luna screamed, the black Mau looking on in horror as her princess and ward continued to stare into her lover's eyes, heedless of the danger the two were in, only to blink as a golden blur interposed itself between the pair, lashing out at the Daimon, sending Nekonneru flying back the way she came, reduced to countless little pieces once again.

"What on earth?" Artemis wondered, the white Mau and Venus' adviser blinking in confusion, his ears catching a mechanical cry of "CLOCK OVER!" just before the Golden Warrior appeared before the two lovers, the back of his armor singed and covered in plaster dust.

* * *

_With Lulu..._

"Two down…" Lelouch grunted, the armored teen trying to catch his breath, having been winded from being smashed through the wall, idly wondering just what the hell had hit him. "Think that did it?"

"Unlikely…" C3 countered over the speakers, the Caucasus Zecter's tone lined with concern beneath her normally impassive monotone "She seems to be quite adept at regenerating from impact based attacks."

"Definitely got Nine lives…" Lelouch muttered, his breath coming in ragged gasps, eyes narrowing as he watched the scattered pieces begin to reform once more "Damn!" he swore, glaring irritably at the pair over his shoulder "You two lovebirds wanna stop making eyes at each other for a few seconds and help me out here?"

As if in response to his words, a pink light shone from the lovers' joined hands, forcing the armored teen to shield his eyes instinctively. When he lowered it again, it was to find himself standing in a completely different place.

'The hell?' he wondered, looking around in alarm, taking in the beautiful, almost divine architecture of the palace before him 'Where are we?' he glanced up at the lovebirds "And what the hell happened to THEM?"

Usagi was now clad in a beautiful white gown composed of white silk, ruffles and ribbons, whereas Darien wore a regal blue suit of armor with a black cape, a sword resting at his hip.

"Nice outfit." A voice by his ear commented, Lelouch turning to find C3 hovering by his ear, the teen looking down at himself in alarm to find himself decked out in his White Emperor robes instead of his Armor "Relax," the Caucasus Zecter assured him "Those two are too busy making eyes at one another to notice you."

Lelouch relaxed slightly, looking on with interest as a light appeared from the tower of the palace in the background, coming down to meet the pair's joined hands, solidifying into a regal looking heart scepter with a crown on the top.

"The Legendary Spiral Heart Moon Rod?" Usagi called out, Lelouch quirking a brow at the name, even as the lovers placed their hands on the rod, still staring into one another's eyes.

"NEKONNERU!" the Daimon snarled, her voice cutting through the illusion, the palace and robes fading away, leaving Lelouch in his armor once more, whipping round to face the feline Fiend as she reformed once again.

"Third time's the charm…" the armored teen muttered, reaching for the Caucasus Zecter, only to pull up short as Usagi raised a new, heart shaped brooch into the air.

"MOON COSMIC POWER: MAKE UP!" the blonde exclaimed, the reactivated Ginzuishou lighting up as she underwent a new transformation sequence.

"Do you think she knows she's naked when she does that?" C3 asked snidely, her tone laced with amusement even as Lelouch quirked a brow, having never actually SEEN a Senshi transformation before, looking on silently as the girl finished her transformation and struck a pose "Drama Queen…"

"I won't forgive you for trampling pure hearts underfoot!" Sailor Moon declared, her eyes locked onto Nekonneru's angrily as she went through her usual pose "In the name of the Moon, I will Punish You!"

"You done?" the Lelouch asked, his tone laced with impatience and annoyance, causing the Sailor Senshi to blink at him in confusion "Seriously, what's the point of all the posing?"

"Hey! I worked hard on this pose!" Sailor Moon exclaimed, looking affronted by the Golden Warrior's lack of appreciation, only to pout as he snorted in dismissal.

"Whatever." Lelouch muttered, thumbing over his shoulder at the charging Daimon "You wanna take that new Rod of yours for a spin?"

"Gladly!" Moon exclaimed, raising the Spiral Moon Rod in the air, the Ginzuishou in the center glowing with power as she twirled it like a baton "MOON SPIRAL HEART ATTACK!"

"NELL?" the Daimon exclaimed, eyes wide with fear, only to howl with agony as a massive, heart shaped blast of crystal energy slammed into her "LOVELY!" she screeched, her form blurring as the evil was cleansed, the jigsaw puzzle dropping to the floor, the Daimon seed popping out of it and dying with terrifying screech.

"Looks like the cat won't be coming back from THAT." Lelouch noted, snorting in bemusement as Sailor Moon rejoiced at being able to fight again, the rest of the Senshi pulling themselves to their feet "Where's the kid?" he asked suddenly, his voice laced with concern for as he glanced around "Did she get out?"

"Oh No!" Sailor Moon exclaimed, her eyes wide with alarm as she clapped a hand over her mouth "The Daimon took her Heart Crystal! Where is it?"

"Right here." A voice called out, the group whipping round to see two figures standing in a nearby window, the light from outside obscuring their features. One of them held the girl's Heart Crystal in her gloved hand.

"You two…" Lelouch muttered, eyes narrowing in suspicion as he recognized the voices from the other day "You're the ones that were at the Shrine, the ones that tried to take the Priestess' crystal."

"What?" Mars exclaimed, her eyes wide with disbelief as she gaped at the figures, anger lining her exhausted features "Give that girl's Heart back now!"

"Relax hothead." The husky voiced woman scoffed, tossing the heart crystal casual through the air, where it returned to the chest of the unconscious girl "It's not one of the Talismans, so we don't need it."

"That's not the point!" Sailor Moon exclaimed, her eyes wide with anger as she gripped the Spiral Heart Rod in both hands "Why are you hunting for Talismans? Are you with the Death Busters?"

"Don't confuse us with that group." The other voice countered, her tone disapproving as she placed a hand on her hip "It's our mission to keep the Talismans from falling into the wrong hands at any cost."

"Even if it means taking them requires you to kill ones carrying them?" Lelouch demanded, eyeing the pair suspiciously, the Senshi tensing in response to his words "Not exactly the kind of attitude you'd expect a SENSHI to have."

"Huh, don't get the wrong idea." The husky voiced figure scoffed, the senshi's eyes widening as the realized the figures WERE wearing Senshi uniforms "Our mission is to retrieve the Talismans at any cost…we're not here to play game with you kids."

So saying, the figures walked off, vanishing into the light, leaving the stunned Senshi looking after them in disbelief.

* * *

Leave off fopr now, more to come.

Luluko: Backstabbing cockbites...

Kyugan: They're lesbians.

Luluko: I stand by my last statement.

Kallen: You sure she's not on her period.

C.C: Trust me, I've seen Marianne during it, this is nothing.

Flashback: Pendragon court.

Marianne: *KICKS doors down and storms past the other 'wives'.*

Charles: Marianne? what the devil is the matt-URK!

Marianne: *holding his nuts in a vice grip* THESE ARE MINE! THESE ARE WHERE MY BABIES COME FROM!


	7. Chapter 7

Another birthday update for lil sis!

C.C: You're spoiling her.

Luluko: GIVE ME MY BALLS BACK!

Kallen: Oh grow up.

* * *

First Encounter of the Outer kind.

"Who the hell is she calling KIDS?" Mars huffed, looking insulted as she glared at the spot where the two mysterious Senshi had walked off "I didn't see THEM doing anything to help against that Daimon!"

"They didn't do anything the other day either." Lelouch opined, the armored teen's tone solemn as he glared after the duo "They didn't even show up until I'd destroyed the Daimon, demanding I hand over the Heart Crystal it had stolen."

"You think they're with the enemy?" Jupiter wondered, the tall Senshi helping Venus to her feet, the shorter Senshi's arm over her shoulder.

"But…they're Senshi…" Mercury murmured, looking highly lost and confused by the idea that fellow warriors of Love and Justice would be their enemies "Aren't they on our side?"

"Not necessarily." The Golden Warrior countered, his tone grim as he continued to eye the spot the trio had left through "I interrogated the Daimon earlier, she revealed that those two have their own reasons for hunting down Heart Crystals, but from what I've seen, they only make an appearance AFTER the Daimon has extracted it, and only because they want to see if it has a talisman.

"What are these 'Talismans'?" Tuxedo Kamen asked, covering his face with his arm to prevent his face being seen, even as the Senshi turned to look at the armored warrior.

"Mystical items which dwell within certain Pure Hearts." The Warrior replied, figuring the more the Senshi knew, the less he had to worry about "There are three of them in total, when all three are combined, they summon the Holy Grail."

"Ah! I remember!" Sailor Moon exclaimed, her eyes wide with alarm "The Daimon said her masters wanted to use the Grail to take over the world!"

"Is there any way for us to determine WHO has these Talismans?" Mercury asked, the bluenette looking up at the armored warrior in concern, only for him to shake his head.

"Sorry, but while they're inside their hosts, they're indistinguishable from regular heart crystals." He revealed, causing the bluenette to slump as he turned on his heel "In any case, it's best if you kept a closer eye out for Daimon activity." He advised, "The talisman's MUSTN'T fall into the wrong hands."

"Wait!" Sailor Mars called out, reaching for his shoulder again, only for the warrior to slap his right hip, disappearing from sight with a mechanized cry of "CLOCK UP!"

"He disappeared again!" Moon exclaimed, looking stunned at their new allies ability to come and go as he pleased "How does he keep doing that?"

"I don't know…" Mercury murmured, her visor in place as she tried to pick up any signs of the armored figure with her mercury computer "Whatever it is, my computer can't seem to detect it."

"Well at least he's on our side." Minako murmured, looking around at the group with concern in her blue eyes "He is, right?"

"We can't be too certain." Luna muttered, her tone reserved as she stepped forwards "For the moment, we can only take his advice to heart, and take greater steps to prepare for these 'Death Busters', whatever their plans may be."

* * *

With Lulu...

Lelouch dropped out of Clock Up the moment he cleared the property wall, the armored teen collapsing against it with a grimace as his armor vanished, leaving him in his street clothes.

"You were cutting it really close back there." C3 noted, the Caucasus Zecter hovering next to the former Emperor's head as he grit his teeth "Whatever that blast was that hit you, it did a good bit of damage."

"Tell me about it." Lelouch grunted, clenching his teeth as he sat on the ground, his arm wrapped around his stomach "Felt like a boulder slammed into my back."

"Your Rider Form is stronger and faster than the Masked form, but it isn't as durable." C3 reminded the teen "It's the mode's one failure, exchanging defense for speed and offense."

"It's alright." Lelouch assured the Zecter, recognizing from her tone that she was concerned about him, no matter how she tried to hide it "I'll be alright…just wasn't expecting to be hit from behind like that."

"You think it was those two?" C3 asked, referring to the mysterious so called 'senshi' pair that had appeared again.

"Had to be." Lelouch muttered, his brow furrowing in annoyance at having missed their appearance, and even more so for letting his back down to them "They clearly didn't like my interference the last time, the one with the short hair in particular."

"Was there anything in T's files regarding the Senshi?" Caucasus wondered, buzzing concernedly around Lelouch's head as he pushed himself to his feet "Anything we can use to identify them?"

"No, but it doesn't really matter." Lelouch countered, smirking as he leant back against the wall "I've already identified who Sailor Moon is," he revealed "and her tuxedo-clad boyfriend too, the rest of the Senshi should fall into place soon enough."

"And the other two?" C3 wondered, sounding impressed despite herself "Have you any clue who they might be?"

"None, and I'm sure there are more out there." Lelouch opined, holding up a finger for emphasis "Think about it, Mercury, Venus, Mars and Jupiter. Even if you factor in the Moon in place of Earth, the Senshi are all named after planets in THIS solar system."

"I fail to see the point." The Caucasus Zecter pointed out, giving the impression that she was frowning at the teen in confusion, whilst also eager to hear more.

"Unless T's world is drastically different to my own, there should be Nine planets in the Solar System altogether." Lelouch opined, holding up four fingers "Which means including the two we saw just now, there should be two other Senshi out there somewhere, four in total."

"I see…" C3 muttered, nodding her horned head, rather her whole body, finally seeing what he was talking about "You think they might be enemies?"

"I'd hardly consider someone who shoots me in the back in order to prevent me from saving a little girl a FRIEND, C3." Lelouch muttered sardonically, gripping his shoulder as his back ached sharply "In any case, I know for a FACT that those two were the ones at the shrine yesterday, so it could simply be they've gone rogue, or the other two are searching for the Talismans as well and they simply travel in pairs."

"Certainly a conundrum, isn't it?" C3 muttered, buzzing uncertainly in the air as she eyed her wounded partner in concern "What are you going to do?"

"It's too crowded here right now," Lelouch muttered, tilting his head towards the sound of feminine wails, Usagi is sounded like, which emanated from the garden "I'll come back later and get some rest when they've gone home."

"You need it.' C3 noted sympathetically, alighting on the teen's shoulder as he trudged off, his hands in his pockets, back hunched slightly to alleviate the pain.

* * *

Death Buster Lab...

"Kaolinite…" the Professor called out, his permanent Slasher smile in place as he once again held a phial containing a Daimon Egg over a Bunsen burner "Have you located a person with a Pure Heart yet?"

"I have," Kaolinite admitted, stepping out of the shadows as usual, her white lab coat worn over her usual red outfit once again "I'm fairly certain about this one too."

"I see…" the Professor leered, pouring the seed into the beaker, watching with a perverse, twisted excitement, as the Daimon Egg developed rapidly into a Daimon Seed, the beaker shattering as it hovered before him "Good, good…!" he crooned, his tone approving as he spread his arms wide "Go, Daimon Seed! Find a Pure Heart and Bring it back to me!"

* * *

_Cafe..._

Lelouch sighed, leaning back against the soft leather seat of the booth he was sitting in, enjoying a nice cup of coffee as he sat in the café from before. "How're you feeling?" C3 asked, the golden Caucasus Zecter perched on Lelouch's shoulder to avoid drawing attention to herself "Is your back better?"

"A little." Lelouch admitted, setting his coffee down with a sigh "It doesn't hurt much anymore, that armor's something else."

"Why thank you." C3 preened, buzzing her wings, pleased with the compliment, even if it WAS indirect "You're not so bad yourself, most people don't recover that fast from a blow like that."

"I've had worse." Lelouch snorted, idly bringing his free hand up to touch his shirt, idly tracing the scar that had been left from where Suzaku had run him through.

The former Emperor had come to the café after waking up fairly late in the day, his sense of time clearly out of whack from the fight the previous day. When he'd questioned C3, demanding to know why she'd let him sleep in, the Zecter had replied he'd needed his rest, in that no-nonsense tone that C.C had often used to get her own way, and that had been the end of it.

As it was, after a wash at the public bathhouse, and with a hot cup of coffee and a bagel in front of him, the former emperor felt like a new man, so to speak. "So what's our next move?" C3 wondered, peering at her partner curiously "Should we go out looking for those Rogue Senshi?"

"They aren't our concern." Lelouch countered, his tone grim "Our primary objective was to ensure the development of human technology, remember? I only got wrapped up in this Talisman business by accident."

"But T's files state clearly that if the enemy gets their hands on the talismans, it will result in the end of all life as we know it." C3 pressed "Surely you can see that the two tasks coincide?"

"Perhaps." Lelouch conceded, taking a sip of his coffee "But then there's his other task…we still don't know who it is we're supposed to protect."

"Maybe it's the Sailor Senshi?" C3 opined, her tone teasing "I mean, you've already come to their rescue more than once.'

"True," Lelouch snorted "But I got the impression that T was speaking about a single person, rather than a group." He sipped his coffee "Besides, if Moon's powers developing are any indication, the other Senshi should follow soon after."

"Speaking of the Warriors of Love and Justice." C3 opined, tilting her horned head in the direction of the door, Lelouch following her gaze to espy two familiar blondes peering at a couple, that had taken up the booth two rows up from him and across. They wore the uniform of a local High school, and might have passed for a couple out on a date, were it not for the fact they were both girls, though the one in the boys uniform did a remarkably good job of passing herself off as a man. If Lelouch hadn't spotted the missing Adam's Apple, he never would have guessed it.

"Now what could those two be up to I wonder?" he mused, keeping his head down to avoid drawing attention to himself, casually glancing between the two groups, noticing that the girls seemed to be staring mainly at the blonde in the men's uniform "Don't tell me they're crushing on her?"

"Ah, to be young and in love." C3 sighed, her tone mocking as she shook her horned head in amusement "Such heartbreak there will be when they figure out the truth."

"Quiet you." Lelouch warned, though he couldn't help but smile as he watched the couple leave, the two Senshi following in their wake. He could almost imagine the look of shock on the girls' faces when they realized their crush was a member of the same team, smiling despite himself at the imagery, only to tense as his cell phone's ring-tone started up.

Like most of his other equipment, Lelouch's phone had been designed by T in order to help him with his mission. It had a built in scanner that allowed him to detect Daimon Seed Activity with a set radius, and a device that would allow him to summon his bike from wherever he'd parked it.

"A Daimon Seed?" C3 wondered, looking over her partner's shoulder in concern "It's on the move…pretty close too, shall we move?"

"Is that a rhetorical question?" Lelouch snorted, chugging the last of his coffee down, slamming a couple of bills on the table to pay for the meal, again making sure to leave a tip for the waitress, before stepping out of the café and into the street.

* * *

_With the 'senshi'..._

"Kameda-san is trying to become a mechanic that can tune up cars to international racing standards." Haruka explained, the tall, masculine looking girl sitting on a nearby divider, Michiru on her right, and the two girls she'd met at the arcade, Usagi and Minako, on her left.

The two had been following them from the moment they left the café, that Haruka knew about. She thought it was adorable at how flustered they were, and couldn't help but chuckle at how they, like so many others, assumed she was a man, and that Michiru was her lover.

'Well…they're HALF right I suppose.' She muttered, chuckling to herself as she watched Kameda work away, marveling at the feeling he gave off. It was the same feeling she got from a racetrack.

"Haruka's dream is to become the Top Race Car driver." Michiru supplied, smiling at her lover, only to pause as Haruka shook her head.

"No, that WAS my dream." Haruka corrected, a wane smile on her face that only Michiru could possibly understand "My dream now is to do something only I can do." She clenched her fist, grateful for her lover's presence as Michiru took her hand in her own, soothingly "To do that, I will make any sacrifice…no matter what happens, I won't regret it."

While Minako and Usagi marveled at how cool Haruka looked at that moment, Kameda finally finished whatever he was working on, closing the hood of the car, walking around to the side to check the ignition. However, the moment he gripped the steering wheel, the cars horn sounded, the mechanic recoiling as if stung as the vehicle was enveloped in a bizarre red light as the engine revved, sounding increasingly more sinister.

"Kameda-san!" Haruka called out, leaping forwards instinctively to help the man, only to be held back by Michiru, who's features were unusually solemn "…I know…" the blonde muttered at length, looking on grimly as the car reared back on it's fender, it's form convulsing violently, shifting into a smaller, humanoid form, but keeping the wheels.

When the light faded, a tall Daimon stood in the cars place, wearing what looked like a cross a gymnasts bodysuit and a car's hood, a Racing helmet with goggles, from under which green hair could be seen peeking out, and a red racing scarf around her neck. Racing tires adorned her hips and shoulders, two sets of exhaust pipes peeked from behind her back and over her bare thighs, and she held a steering wheel in her hands.

"STEERING!" she called out, smirking darkly at the terrified Kameda, who backed away from the possessed vehicle in alarm "I'll take that Pure Heart which rides on your dreams! JACK UP!"

"Hey!" Minako yelled, running into the room along with Usagi even as the Daimon launched several jacks at Kameda, suspending the terrified mechanic off the ground by his arms and legs. Unfortunately, the blondes' entrance was ruined as they slipped in a grease stain, sending them ploughing into one another, before crashing into a stack of gas cans at the back of the garage.

Deciding to ignore the pair, as they really didn't seem much of a threat, Steering moved forward, lying on her back and literally rolling under the jacks so that she was looking up at Kameda, the 'windscreen' on her chest lowering, revealing a black star tattoo over her cleavage, the Daimon laughing mockingly as she pulled the Heart Crystal out of the screaming Mechanic, leaving him to hand limp in the clamps.

"I'll have this Crystal checked by Kaolinite-sama to see if it's a Talisman or not." She chuckled, smirking as she turned around and literally jumped the wall, landing in a nearby trench, even as a black motorcycle and sidecar pulled up alongside the garage.

* * *

_At the Garage..._

"Damn…" Lelouch swore, his eyes narrowing behind his Zero helmet as he watched the racecar-esque Daimon race off down the dry channel "Missed it!"

"She's moving pretty fast." C3 noted with interest as she hovered next to his head "Even if you used Clock Up, I don't think you could catch up to her before it ran out."

"So we do it the old fashioned way." Lelouch muttered, revving the engine of his bike with a grim expression "I've been looking for a chance to put this thing through its paces."

"But wont the sidecar slow you down?" C3 wondered, looking at her partner in concern, only for Lelouch to snort knowingly."

"Now who's the one who needs to read the manual?" the former Emperor mocked, smirking at the Zecter from behind his helmet as he patted the gas tank of the bike, or what WOULD have been the gas tank if his machine ran on ordinary fuel "Trust me, there's more to this baby than meets the eye…"

* * *

_With the Daimon..._

"That was dangerous…" Steering muttered, the Daimon looking a little shaky as she picked herself off the ground "Good thing I was wearing a helmet…" she noted, lifting her goggles off her face with one hand.

One minute the Daimon had been racing down the dried up embankment, intent on taking the captive Heart Crystal to Kaolinite, the next thing she knew, two demented humans on a motorcycle had driven up the side, leaping into the air, only for the bike to come down right on top of her, forcing her to crash.

'Whatever happened to those two anyway?' she wondered, glancing over at the bike, only to see no sign of the riders "Must've fallen off topside…not my problem they didn't bring protective wear.'

"We finally caught up with you!" a voice called out, the Daimon looking up to see Sailors Moon and Venus atop the embankment, the latter riding atop a bicycle "We won't allow a villain like you to take the pure heart of a man chasing his dream!" the leader of the Senshi declared, going through her pose "In the name of the Moon, we shall Punish You!"

"Hey!" Venus exclaimed, looking at her fellow blonde in exasperation "You had me pedal all the way here! Don't go acting cool by yourself!"

"I will not allow any more traffic obstructions to block my driving!" Steering declared, her engine revving, wherever the hell it was, even as massive spikes merged from her wheels, causing the younger Senshi to recoil in alarm.

"HOLD IT!" a pair of voices called out, halting the Daimon in it's tracks, looking over it's shoulder to see two figures in Senshi outfits, one with a yellow ribbon, the other green, standing back to back down the lane.

"Elegantly guided by the new Era…" the blonde one called out, striking a pose as se turned to face the Daimon "Sailor Uranus!"

"Gracefully guided by the new Era…" the Aquamarine haired one called out, striking a pose that mirrored Uranus' exactly "Sailor Neptune!"

"Those two really ARE Senshi!" Venus exclaimed, her eyes widening in disbelief at the confirmation that the two figures from before WERE Sailor Senshi.

"Are you trying to obstruct my course as well?" Steering called snarled, making revving noises as her wheels began to rotate, the spikes blurring together like rotary saws, only to yelp as something small and golden started buzzing around her head "What the hell?"

"That beetle!" Sailor Moon exclaimed at the sight of the familiar golden beetle that had distracted the Daimon the other day, only to blink as the sound of a motorcycle engine roared behind her, he eyes widening as she turned to see where it was coming from.

Racing towards the Senshi was a futuristic looking Motorcycle with sidecar, the rider's features hidden behind a fearsome black helmet that looked like a cross between a chess piece and a hawk.

"Who's that?" Venus wondered, blinking in confusion as the rider raised his right fist, revealing a mechanical bracer which called out "STANDBY!" the Golden Beetle abandoning it's assault on the Daimon to fly towards the sound "Don't tell me-!"

"HENSHIN!" the mechanized voice called out, the rider's form disappearing beneath the by now familiar gold and silver armor of the mysterious golden warrior that had twice come to the Senshi's aid.

"Are you challenging me?" Steering called out, turning to face the oncoming threat, her wheels rotating fiercely. The armored rider did not respond, nor did he slow down, instead, he merely slapped a button on his cycles Gas tank, earning a mechanized cry of "BATTLE MODE!"

To the Senshi's amazement, the side-car of the machine detached from the main cycle, disappearing behind it, only to split in two, forming a pair of mechanized legs that attached to the back of the cycle. At the same time, the fork and spring bar of the main cycle detached, the entire lower half rotating so that the wheels now swerved as hands, the rear exhaust pipes branching out into six impressive looking cannons, while four claws were deployed from the right.

"WHAT IS THAT THING?" Steering exclaimed, looking at the oncoming behemoth in horror, unable to react as it leveled its main cannons at her and opened fire, the gathered Senshi covering their faces in alarm as the sound of gunfire filled the air.

After what seemed like an eternity, they hesitantly lowered their eyes, gazing fearfully up at the mechanized walker, which was the only thing visible through the smoke.

As the smoke cleared however, the ruined remains of the car Kameda was working on lay on it's back before them, shot so full of holes it wasn't good for anything but the scrap heap. Standing next to it, still encased in his gold and silver armor, was the owner of the mechanized behemoth, the mechanic's stolen Heart Crystal hovering in his hands.

"Sugoi…" Moon breathed, so stunned by what she'd just witnessed that she found herself sinking to the ground, her legs suddenly unable to support her weight anymore "So powerful…what is that thing?"

"Great, THIS guy again…" Uranus muttered, the shorthaired senshi scowling at the intruder as she shielded her face from the dust "How'd he recover from my World Shaking so fast?"

"I'm more concerned with that…BEAST he brought with him." Neptune murmured, the Aquamarine Senshi eyeing the Mechanized Walker warily. Unlike the Inners, she and Uranus had been facing the machine when it had turned Steering into Swiss cheese, she didn't fancy finding out what the thing could do to Senshi armor.

"Hey!" Uranus called out, the stubborn blonde Senshi refusing to be intimidated by the Gold and Silver pest, impressive ride or not "Give that to us! Now!"

"I think not." The Gold and Silver warrior countered, his tone flat "This Crystal belongs to someone else, someone who'll die without it." He snorted mockingly "Not that it would do you any good either way, this Crystal doesn't possess a Talisman."

"Like I'm going to believe you!" Uranus snarled, her temper flaring at the armored interlopers cocky attitude "Who the hell do you think you are?"

"I?" the figure repeated, tilting his helmet towards them "I am the ally of those without power. I am the enemy of those who abuse their power." His eyes glowed ominously, causing the rogue Senshi to shiver despite themselves "Kamen Rider…Caucasus!"

* * *

Leaving off for now, more to come.

Luluko: *Drools* I want one of those.

Kyugan: What d'ya know, chicks dig giant robots!

Kallen: That's stereotyping!

C.C: What d you care, you're a guy now?

Kallen: Why I oughta!


	8. Chapter 8

Kyugan: Last time on Sailor Moon: GSL-!

Sidebashaar: BATTLE MODE!

*Cue Transformer sound effect*

Steering: Oh Shi-!

Boomer: BOOM!

C.C: and now back to your regularly scheduled programming.

* * *

Rider versus Senshi.

"Kamen Rider…Caucasus?" Sailor Moon repeated, the Leader of the Sailor Senshi gaping at the armored back of the mysterious armored warrior that had come to their aid against the Daimon menace.

Finally, after wondering who he was, where he'd come from, and what he wanted for days, with nothing to go on but guesswork and speculation, FINALLY the Sailor Senshi had some clue as to who their mysterious ally was, even if it WAS simply what to call him. They'd worked with less before after all.

"Kamen Rider?" Uranus repeated, the tall, shorthaired blonde quirking a brow at the armored figure in annoyance "Never heard of you. Not that it matters, hand over the talisman before you get hurt!"

"Such a tempting offer." Caucasus noted mockingly his tone causing Uranus' hackles to rise angrily, only Neptune's hand on her shoulder keeping her from lashing out "However, I'm afraid I must decline, this Heart Crystal belongs to the man in the garage, it needs to be returned to him before he dies."

"Wait!" Neptune insisted, stepping forward to try and reason with the armored figure, her hand held across her chest imploringly "We need to examine that crystal to make sure it isn't a talisman!"

"I've already checked it and there's no signs of it being a talisman." Caucasus replied, his back partially turned to the pair, though his helmet was turned slightly towards them "Not that I'd give it to you even if it was."

"Why you little-!" Uranus snapped, stepping forwards, only for Neptune to hold her back, the Aquamarine Senshi's eyes locked on the massive Mech which the Rider had rode in on, Uranus' temper fading as she realized it was currently aiming the barrels of its weapon at THEM.

"Temper, Temper." Caucasus chided, his tone amused as he stepped closer to the mech, patting it on the side as he spoke "Side-Bashaar here is a little temperamental, I wouldn't be making any sudden moves if I were you."

"You son of a bitch…" Uranus snarled, ther short-haired blonde's fists clenching as she glared heatedly at the gold and silver pest, shoulders trembling with the strain of holding in her anger.

"You kiss your mother with that mouth?" Caucasus shot back, his tone laced with mock affront that only served to make Uranus temper worse.

"Please, Caucasus-san." Neptune called out, gripping Uranus' shoulder tightly to keep her from lunging at the man "I know you have no reason to trust us, but we need to find the Talismans in order to-!"

"Save the world, I know." Caucasus shot back, cutting the Aquamarine Senshi off "I know all about the Holy Grail." he revealed, causing the rogue Senshi's eyes to widen in shock "I know that the Talismans can be used to find it."

"If that's the case then why?" Neptune demanded, looking at the masked man in confusion, even as Uranus' eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Because it doesn't matter HOW powerful the talismans are, if you take them from the people carrying them, they'll die." Caucasus shot back, his tone low and cold "You say you want to save the world, but you're willing to kill three innocent people to do so? How does that make you any different from the Death Busters?"

Neptune recoiled as if she'd been slapped in the face, her eyes wide with hurt and alarm at being compared to the enemy. Uranus, on the other hand, seemed to get more furious by the accusation, only the threat of being riddled with holes keeping her from charging the armored warrior.

"Sailor Moon." Caucasus called out, the pigtailed Senshi sitting up straight, looking alarmed as the armored warrior turned, holding out the hand that held Kameda's Heart Crystal, the red gem floating towards her gently "Take that back to it's true owner, he should be fine if you go quickly."

"H-Hai!" Sailor Moon stammered holding the Crystal in both hands, only to pale as the Riders mech turned to face her, wondering if it thought she was trying to steal the Heart Crystal, only to blink as it transformed back into a motorcycle and sidecar.

"It will be quicker if you take Side-Bashaar." Caucasus instructed, nodding his head towards the stunned Sailor Venus "Don't worry, he's got an autopilot."

"COOL!" Venus exclaimed, leaping off the bike she'd borrowed and racing down the steep incline, mounting the machine and gripping the handlebars "Come on Moon! Haul buns!"

"Hold it!" Uranus exclaimed, lunging forwards now that the threat of being shot was removed, her hand reaching out for the startled Sailor Moon "Give me that Crystal!" the short-haired senshi demanded, only to choke as she was effectively clotheslined by Caucasus, the Rider's arm catching her right across the throat, sending her slamming into the ground, her skull cracking against the concrete sharply.

"Go." Caucasus ordered, turning to face the stunned Moon and Venus, even as Uranus rolled on the ground, holding her head and cursing "I'll deal with these two."

"H-Hai!" Sailor Moon stammered, clambering into the sidecar, letting out a yelp of alarm as the Side Bashaar roared into life the moment she did so, clutching Kameda's Heart Crystal to her chest with both hands as the mechanized motorcycle and sidecar tore up the embankment, racing off towards the Garage, Venus' cheers of excitement trailing in their wake.

* * *

_As the Senshi ride away..._

"Sounds like someone's enjoying themselves." C3 mused, the Caucasus Zecter chuckling as the two Senshi's screams, of fear and elation respectively, faded into the distance "Was it wise to send Side-Bashaar with them?"

"The longer the Heart Crystal is separated from the body, the greater the chance of the host dieing." Caucasus explained over the speakers, the former Emperor watching the exhaust trails fade away with a hint of satisfaction, before turning his attention to the Rogue Senshi, as Neptune helped Uranus off the floor "Besides, someone needs to keep these two off their tail."

"You son of a bitch…" Uranus growled, rubbing the back of her head as she glared heatedly at the self proclaimed Kamen Rider "You're gonna regret that!"

"I'm shaking in my boots." Caucasus shot back, his tone mocking as he eyed the two magical girls, though magical WOMEN might be more accurate, as they looked to he at the very LEAST in their late teens, if not early twenties.

"You're pretty mouthy for a guy whose back-up just left him behind." Uranus shot back, smirking confidently as she cracked her knuckles "You got a death wish pal?"

"I've already died once." Caucasus shot back, smirking as this flippant admission caught the two senshi by surprise "It's really not so bad once you get used to it."

"Funny guy…" Uranus snorted, even as Neptune frowned, looking a little affronted by the Riders dismissal of their looks "Almost a shame to have to shut you up."

"I'm afraid the feeling isn't mutual." Caucasus countered, all hints of amusement vanishing from his voice, which now carried an undertone of danger that sent shivers down the Rogue Senshi's spines "You see, I tend to hold a grudge against people who shoot me in the back."

"You should've been paying attention then." Uranus mocked, smirking confidently once again as she moved into a stance "A true warrior should never let his guard down."

"A true warrior would ALSO never allow harm to befall a child." Caucasus shot back, noting with satisfaction the minute flinch around the Senshi's eyes, more Neptune than Uranus, but there all the same "The other Senshi fought against it with all they had, even though they stood no chance of winning. Even Sailor Moon, who at the time COULDN'T transform, did her best to stop it from stealing the kid's Heart Crystal…"

Neptune shivered, somehow able to tell that, behind the Rider's blue visor, his eyes were narrowed in a glare, which was evident in the sheer condemning tone of his voice.

"You, on the other hand, not only did nothing, you actually HELPED the Daimon by taking me out of the fight for a while." Caucasus continued, his eyes locked mainly on Uranus, though his words were directed at Neptune as well "You couldn't have cared less so long as you got your hands on the Heart Crystal, that makes you no better than the Daimon and their Death Buster masters in my eyes."

"Who asked you?" Uranus snarled, glaring heatedly at the Rider as she raised her hand in the air, clenching her fist as it filled with magical energy "Uranus World-!"

"CAST OFF!" the Caucasus Zecter declared, Caucasus having beaten the temperamental senshi to the punch by twisting his Zecter into position, the silver sections of his armor exploding from his body, slamming into the startled Uranus and Neptune, knocking them off their feet "CHANGE: BEETLE!"

"Dammit!" Uranus swore, the senshi wiping a trail of blood from her lip, glaring at the Rider as she pulled herself to her feet alongside an equally battered Neptune "Cheap shot you bastard!"

"This coming from someone who likes to attack from behind." Caucasus countered, his tone mocking as he crossed his arms before him "And you call yourself a Senshi…what a joke."

"That's it!" Uranus snapped, raising her fist in the air once again, an equally vexed Neptune following her lead "URANUS WORLD-!"

"CLOCK OVER!" a voice declared, which was the only warning the pair got before a set of armored elbows jabbed into their spines, sending them crashing face first into the concrete.

"How's it feel to take one from behind?" Caucasus called out mockingly, lowering his elbows as he watched the Senshi pick themselves off the ground "I thought I'd return the favor for yesterday, but it just doesn't sit right with me…" he crossed his arms "So to make it up to you, I'll let you both get one shot off."

"You bastard!" Uranus snarled, glaring angrily at the Rider, her temper flaring to even greater heights now that her pride was insulted "You asked for it! WORLD SHAKING!" she declared, slamming her fist into the ground, unleashing a blast of energy in the shape of a planet that tore up the concrete as it barreled towards the Rider.

"DEEP SUBMERGE!" Neptune called out, raising both hands above her head, summoning a sphere of water, which she also launched at the Rider, who merely stood with his arms crossed before him, unconcerned.

'Idiot!' Uranus smirked watching the attacks bear down on the rider 'You think you're so hot? We've seen how you fight! If you can't use your hands you can't activate that finishing move of yours!"

"Rider Kick." Caucasus declared, the two rogue senshi looking on in alarm as the golden Caucasus Zecter adorning his wrist turned backwards of it's own accord, Tachyon energy lighting up the plates of his armor, the three golden horns on his face glowing as his blue eyes lit up ominously.

"RIDER BEAT!" the Zecter declared, just as Caucasus whipped round, his arms still crossed before his chest, unleashing all the stored Tachyon energy in a devastating kick that crashed into the two oncoming attacks, sending them flying back the way they came with a sound like shattering glass, Uranus and Neptune unable to do anything but look on in horror as their own attacks slammed into them, sending the rogue senshi flying through the air, only to drop painfully to the ground in a broken, smoking heap.

* * *

_As the dust settles..._

"Not bad finishing moves…" Caucasus acknowledged, his tone laced with approval as he lowered his left foot, trails of smoke rising from it after the impact with the Senshi's combined assault "I felt that even through my Rider Kick, you've got some impressive power there."

"D-Don't you look down on us!" Uranus spat, the shorthaired senshi glaring hatefully up at the Rider from where she lay on the ground. At her side, an equally wounded Neptune struggled to push herself off the ground, only managing to lift her head enough to look up at the Rider, her expression torn between anger, surprise, and fear.

"I can't help but look down on you from where I'm standing." Caucasus shot back, his tone laced with amusement, chuckling as Uranus snarled angrily at him "But seriously, you two are too powerful to simply ignore what's going on around you, you should be helping the Senshi against the Death Busters, not running around with your own agenda."

"You know NOTHING." Uranus spat, glaring up at the Rider as the downed Senshi pushed themselves up on their elbows "You don't know what we know…you haven't SEEN what we've seen!"

"If it's bad enough to make a so called 'Warrior of Love an Justice' forget her duties then I don't think I WANT to." Caucasus muttered, causing Neptune to flinch and Uranus' scowl to deepen "What I DO know is that I intend to help the Senshi fight the Death Busters." His blue eyes glowed ominously "If that means having to fight YOU as well, then so be it."

"Then finish us off now." Uranus muttered, the downed Outer Senshi glaring angrily at the Rider from her spot on the ground "Finish us now, cause I can promise you, you won't get the chance later."

"Tempting, but no." Caucasus countered, his tone dismissive as he turned towards the embankment, walking away from the downed Senshi "I don't like picking on the defenseless, and you're half dead as it is."

"Dammit!" Uranus swore, clenching her teeth as she slowly pushed herself off the ground with both hands "Don't turn your back on me coward!" she called out, getting to her knees, her eyes locked on the Rider's back "We're not finished-!"

"CLOCK OVER!" a voice declared, Uranus letting out a cry of pain as she was slammed back into the ground, courtesy of Caucasus' boot on her spine, the force of the impact causing cracks to form in the pavement.

"URANUS!" Neptune exclaimed, the Aquamarine Senshi looking at her partner in horror, noting with alarm that her partner wasn't moving "NO!"

"Calm down." Caucasus called out, the Rider turning Uranus over with the toe of his boot so that she was facing the sky "She's just out cold. If I hadn't knocked her out, she'd have only gotten even MORE hurt."

Neptune flinched, looking up at the Golden Rider in fear and uncertainty, torn between relief that her partner was still alive, and fear that, at any moment, Caucasus may decide to rectify the situation. PERMANENTLY.

"Relax, I'm done here." The Rider assured her, stepping away from the unconscious form of Uranus and making his way towards the embankment "I told you before I don't like picking on the weak…and fighting women just doesn't sit right with me."

So saying, he raised his hand to his hip, before disappearing with a cry of "CLOCK UP!", leaving the Rogue Senshi where they lay, battered, beaten, and DEFEATED.

* * *

_With the Inners..._

"It was SO COOL!" Minako exclaimed, the blonde waving her arms in the air as she tried to accurately describe her experience with the Rider's ride "It just sprouted arms and legs and started blasting away like there was no tomorrow!"

The blonde duo were recounting their tale to the others, having returned to the Crown Arcade, where their little adventure had technically started, after returning Kameda-san's heart crystal, leaving the mechanic scratching his head, wondering what on earth had happened to the car he'd been working on.

They'd asked around for Haruka and Michiru, but there was no sign of the older teens, more accurately, no sign of Minako's latest crush, and so they'd trudged back to the arcade, despite Usagi's protests that they should head over to Rei's, as the priestess would probably be spitting fire by now, only for Minako to counter by claiming she needed to heal her wounded heart.

Naturally, the moment the door to the arcade opened, the blondes ran right into Rei, who was standing there with her arms crossed before her, her foot tapping irritably on the floor.

"Are you sure you didn't just stay here playing videogames all day?" the priestess demanded, her brow twitching as she glared at Usagi and Minako, the rest of the senshi having come looking for the pair when they failed to show up for their study session at her temple.

"It's true!" Usagi exclaimed, throwing her arms in the air "And we weren't in here playing games all day! We left after Haruka-kun trounced Minako-chan at the racing game!"

"Someone beat Minako at racing?" Makoto wondered, looking surprised at the revelation, even as Minako glared evilly at Usagi, the Senshi of love muttering under her breath that she wasn't beaten THAT badly "No way, I've seen her break more records on these things than the PROGRAMMERS!"

"I'm a little concerned about these new Senshi…" Ami spoke up, the shy bluenette looking most troubled by the confirmation that the mysterious pair that was also hunting talismans were fellow Sailor Senshi "Are they really enemies? Or do they have some hidden agenda?"

"They're jerks is what they are!" Minako exclaimed, crossing her arms as she turned her head to the side with a huff "They didn't care in the least that Kameda-san might die without his crystal! All they cared about was looking for those 'Talisman' things!"

"Luna and Artemis are looking into that right now." Rei assured the bluenette, the Mau having raced off to try and recall as much information as they could about these new Senshi, and why they hadn't recalled them earlier.

"So that's where those two got off to!" Makoto wondered, her eyebrows rising in realization as he she crossed her arms before her "I was wondering why neither of them came with us to look for them."

"Oh!" a voice called out, the girls looking up to see a tall girl with aquamarine hair walking towards them, followed by an equally tall blonde "What a surprise!"

"Michiru-chan!" Usagi gasped, the pigtailed blonde looking at the pair in alarm, taking in the small cuts and scrapes that adorned the older woman's pretty face "What happened to you?"

"Oh we tried chasing after that monster on Haruka's bike." Michiru admitted, holding a hand tenderly to her cheek, revealing several bandages around her fingers "We ended up crashing because we were going so fast."

"EH?" Minako wailed, the blonde leaping from her seat, almost knocking Usagi of her own as she gripped the startled Michiru by the arms "What about Haruka-san? What happened to Haruka-san!"

"Yeah!" Rei exclaimed, leaping onto Minako's back, the fiery priestess desperate to hear what had happened to the supposedly cute guy her two friends had been effectively STALKING for the better part of the day "What happened to the cutie!"

"Did something happen to Haruka-sempai?" Makoto demanded, leaping onto REI'S back, poor Minako literally doubling over as she struggled to hold the combined weight of her two friends.

Michiru blinked, startled by the girls reactions, only to giggle, covering her mouth with her fist, before gesturing to the woman next to her, who was looking off to the side nervously, as if hoping that if she ignored the situation, she wouldn't be dragged into it.

Unfortunately, it was for not, as not only was the blonde's face also riddled with random plasters, cuts and scratches, but she was wearing the same trousers as Haruka had earlier, and had a Men's uniform blazer slung over her shoulder. "A…a GIRL?" Rei stammered, even as Minako let out a cry of alarm and despair, the poor blonde's features frozen in shock, even as Makoto blinked in confusion.

"I don't recall every saying I was a man." Haruka spoke up at last, her words, and the sound of her voice, proving to be the final nail in Minako's coffin, the poor blonde collapsing weakly to the floor, Rei and Makoto looking down at their friend in concern, though they didn't get off her back, while Ami palmed her face in embarrassment.

"We don't have time for this…" the bluenette sighed, torn between embarrassment, concern on behalf of her friend, and exasperation, as they'd hardly gotten ANY studying done today, what with one thing or another.

"Mhm…" Usagi agreed, the pigtailed blonde standing with her arms crossed and her eyes closed, nodding her head sagely at her friend's words "And besides, I always knew that Mamo-chan was better from the start."

Ami could only sigh, as it was clear from her friend's blush, and the slight sound of relief in her tone, that the blonde wasn't being entirely truthful.

* * *

_With Lulu..._

"You certainly know how to carry a grudge." C3 noted, the Caucasus Zecter hovering next to Lelouch's ear as he worked on his laptop, the pair having returned once again to the ruined mansion which they'd designated as their base of operations "I take it you have a history with back-stabbers?"

"You could say that…" Lelouch admitted, recalling the numerous times where his trust had been betrayed by Suzaku, the Black Knight's mutiny when they learned his identity, hell, even the Emperor's betrayal, back when he'd cast Nunnally and Lelouch to the wolves by stripping them of their Royal status.

"Remind me never to get on your bad side." C3 mused, the golden beetle coming round to land next to the teen's hand "Still, did you need to be so rough?"

"They didn't hold back the other day." Lelouch replied, his tone clipped "And in any case, the longer it takes for them to recover, the less I need to worry about them getting their hands on a Talisman."

"Admit it, you ENJOYED that a little too much, didn't you?" C3 prodded, her tone amused as she tilted her horned head towards her partner, only for Lelouch to snort, eyeing the golden Zecter wryly, before shutting down the computer and turning towards the couch, ready for another night's sleep, as they had a long day ahead of them tomorrow.

* * *

_Later..._

"Haruka," Michiru whispered, the two of them lying under the covers of the double bed they shared in their uptown home.

"What is it?" Haruka asked, the shorthaired blonde sounding exhausted, too drained from the events of the day and her injuries to turn and face her lover.

"About what he said…" Michiru prodded hesitantly, not wanting to anger the blonde, knowing her lover's temper better than anyone "Caucasus I mean…what he said about us being like the Death Busters…"

"He's full of shit." Haruka growled, her shoulders tensing at the memory of the Golden Rider and the defeat he'd handed them "Don't let that gold-plated poser get to you Michiru, we're doing the right thing. We have to complete our mission or else the world will end."

"If you say so…" Michiru sighed, though there was a modicum of doubt in her tone as she lay there, staring up at the roof, recalling the hurt she'd felt at the Rider's words.

_"You say you want to save the world, but you're willing to kill three innocent people to do so?"_ Caucasus' voice echoed in her mind judgingly_ "How does that make you any different from the Death Busters?"_

Michiru had to admit she found it very hard to see the difference herself.

* * *

And we'll leave off there.

Kallen: Good grief...Hey! I'm ME again!

C.C: Awe...I wanted you to wear the bunny suit...

Kallen: Die in a hole, where's Lelouch?

C.C: Painting Suzaku faces on the Side-bashaar's missiles.

Kallen: *Mouths 'WTF to Kyugan*

Kyugan: Beast wars scorponok.

Kallen: Ah.

Lelouch: *offscreen* heheheh...traitor go boom...


	9. Chapter 9

Another B-day update!

Saturn: Enjoy (blows on candles)

* * *

Musical Genius.

Deep within the confines of his underground lab, the entity known only as The Professor smiled his Slasher smile as he over saw the final stages of another Daimon Egg as it developed into a Daimon Seed. "Perfect!" he exclaimed, cackling demonically as the beaker containing the Seed shattered, allowing the evil thing to hover in the air before him "Kaolinite!"

"Yes, Professor." The redhead called out, stepping into the dim light, dressed as always in a lab coat over her usual red outfit, smiling at the man as he beheld his latest creation "I assume that the latest Daimon has been completed?"

"Indeed." The Professor cackled, straightening up from his cackles, never turning round to face his redheaded assistant "Try to ensure that THIS one comes back with a Heart Crystal will you?"

"Understood sir," Kaolinite replied, flinching slightly from the man's words, as the recent string of failures hadn't sat well with him "As it turns out, I've already selected an appropriate target."

"Punctual as always." The Professor applauded, looking on as the Daimon Seed vanished into the network of pipes that made up the ceiling of his lab, his glasses glinting in the dim light of the lab as he leered at the remaining phials of Daimon Eggs, apparently eager to get back to his work "Just make sure the Sailor Senshi don't interfere."

"What about those other two?" Kaolinite asked, referring to the Rogue Senshi that had been hunting the Talismans as well "And that strange armored warrior?"

"If they interfere, dispose of them." The Doctor declared, his tone dismissive as he continued his research "Let nothing stand in the way of our obtaining the Talismans!"

* * *

_Juuban Public Park..._

"No signs of Daimon activity so far…" Lelouch muttered, the teen leaning against the Side-Bashaar, having parked the motorcycle and sidecar near the park in order to grab a snack from a nearby vendor, the teen slowly working his way through a foot long hot-dog with the works.

"How can you eat that thing?" C3 wondered, the Golden Caucasus Zecter eyeing the processed sausage in a bun with distaste "Do you even know what's in it?"

"Ignorance is bliss." Lelouch countered, smirking as the Zecter huffed, even as he shut his phone with a snap, sticking the device into his jacket pocket as he gazed around at his surroundings.

He had to admit, despite being technologically inferior to his own world, the Japan of THIS world was a nicer place to live in. True, the one he was familiar with had a lot more conveniences readily available, and was a lot cleaner for one, but there was something about Juuban ward which made the former Emperor feel comfortable, even more so than he'd ever felt in the Tokyo settlement.

"Meatball head a Four o'clock." C3 called out, drawing her partner's attention to a familiar blonde, who ran past them, tears trailing from her cheeks like a waterfall "What do you think happened to her? Someone tell her she was fat?"

"Do I look like a psychic to you?" Lelouch demanded, quirking a brow at the Zecter even as he watched the blonde Senshi race off, leaving two trails of salt-water in her wake.

"Still," C3 muttered, buzzing concernedly whilst trying to sound indifferent "the way she's going at it, you'd think something really terrible happened."

"Why don't you follow her and find out?" Lelouch prodded with a snort, "I personally have no interest in getting involved in whatever childish affairs the Senshi have out of uniform."

"You're not that much older than them you know." C3 reminded the teen, earning a glare from Lelouch, who stuffed the last of his hotdog into his mouth, pushing away from the Side-Bashaar with his hands in his pockets, heading in the same direction as the distraught blonde. "He's so easy…"

* * *

_On the trail of the elusive Odango-atama..._

'Dammit…' Lelouch swore, scowling to himself as he walked down the path, his eyes narrowed, only partially paying attention to his surroundings as he went 'Even when she isn't here, that witch still somehow manages to get the last word in.'

Lelouch had to admit, as useful as C3 was, the Caucasus Zecter's similarity to his immortal contractor was simply unnerving at times. Half the time, whenever their verbal sparring got particularly interesting, he found himself struggling to keep from referring to the Zecter as 'witch' or 'C.C', a habit which sadly, he only rarely managed to avoid.

'It's almost as if she's speaking to me THROUGH the Zecter.' He marveled, wondering if he'd ever get to ask T how he'd developed the device, only to brush that aside as inconsequential. T was gone now, and even if Lelouch were to find him in this current time, there was no guarantee he'd be the same man that had brought the former Emperor back to life.

'With my luck I'd probably end up causing a time paradox.' The teen muttered, scoffing at the idea, only to look up as the sound of Violin music filled the air. 'Sounds like its coming from the stage…' he noted, turning his attention towards the large half-dome that had been raised in the park for the sake of performances, blinking as he espied a familiar blonde head of hair making her way towards the source of the beautiful music "Well speak of the devil."

"Eh?" Usagi wondered, looking around in confusion, only to blink in surprise at the sight of the foreign teen "Ah! You're that guy from the other day! Lulu…something or other…"

"Lelouch Lamperouge." The teen finished, smiling understandably as the blonde rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment "And you're Usagi-san, right?"

"Hai!" the blonde greeted, raising a hand in the air like they were in class "Tsukino Usagi, at your service!"

"Charmed." Lelouch returned, smiling at the girl, once again marveling at the fact that she was secretly Sailor Moon. It was mind boggling really, to know that this little slip of a girl, who was more concerned with videogames and snacks, had saved the world on more than one occasion if rumor was to be believed.

'What's REALLY amazing how nobody's identified her yet.' He marveled, his eyes roaming over her cute features, particularly her unique hairstyle 'Seriously, how many blonde girls run around with their hair done-up like something out of a pasta commercial?'

"So what are you doing here, Lelouch-san?" Usagi asked, snapping the elder teen out of his musings as she looked him over in confusion.

"Just out for a walk." Lelouch replied, smiling dismissively, only to frown slightly as he peered at her face "And what about you, Usagi-san? Are you alright?"

"Me?" Usagi stammered, looking shocked at the teen's question, only to wave a hand dismissively, chuckling nervously "Oh I'm fine! Never better!"

"If you're certain." Lelouch conceded, not really wanting to play shrink with a magical girl, you never knew what you'd learn after all, even as he turned his attention to the stage, where a lone female figure was playing the violin "She's very good."

"That's Kaioh Michiru-san." Usagi revealed, looking highly pleased to be acquainted with such a talented beauty "She's in tenth grade."

"A year older than you then." Lelouch noted, marveling at how gracefully the aquamarine girl was playing, only to blink as her partner, the shorthaired blonde from the café, tossed a lemon at her, the girl not breaking her stride as she actually juggled the piece of citrus on the violin, using it to her advantage as she danced and played "Okay, I'll admit, I'm impressed."

"She's so perfect…" Usagi breathed, looking smitten despite the fact she was talking about another girl, and not even one in drag like Haruka "Like a princess…"

"She does look refined doesn't she." Lelouch agreed, eyeing the aquamarine beauty carefully, recalling the times he'd watched his half-sisters practice their instruments. Music was considered part of the Royal Family's education, and all the Emperor's offspring were expected to learn at least ONE instrument. Lelouch, naturally, had excelled at the piano, though he was no slouch when it came to the flute or violin either.

"Can I help you?" a voice called out, the duo looking up to see Michiru had stopped playing, and was smiling expectantly at them, her friend looking at them over her shoulder.

"Well if it isn't the odango-atama from the other day!" the shorthaired blonde noted, blinking at the sight of Usagi, honestly surprised by the pigtailed blonde's appearance at the park "Who's your friend?"

"Ah, Haruka-san!" Usagi greeted, waving excitedly at the blonde, before dragging Lelouch forward to introduce them "This is Lelouch-san! Lelouch-san, this is Tennoh Haruka-san!"

"A pleasure to meet you, MISS Haruka." Lelouch greeted, earning a look of surprise from the blondes, even as Michiru giggled in approval.

"He's very observant, wouldn't you agree Haruka?" the aquamarine violinist noted, smiling at her partner, before turning to Usagi "Is he your boyfriend, Usagi-san?"

"EH?" Usagi stammered, looking from the smiling violinist to Lelouch, who'd merely quirked a brow at the question "N-N-N-NO! My boyfriend is Mamo-chan! He's in College today!"

"So you're getting a little action on the side while your boyfriend's in class?" Haruka asked, her tone teasing, chuckling as Usagi's face lit up like a roman candle "I'm only kidding." She snorted, turning on her heel and walking off "Michiru, I'm going for a ride to cool my head," she called out "See you around, odango-atama!"

"They're not odango!" Usagi called out, though she didn't seem to be as upset as she'd normally be at the comparison.

"She seemed a little tense there." Lelouch noted, his eyes locked on Haruka's retreating back, though he was talking to Michiru "Everything alright?"

"It's nothing serious." Michiru assured the teen, smiling as she finished playing, catching the lemon with her free hand "She knows it's nothing that can be solved by running around recklessly."

* * *

_Haruka..._

'Dammit…' Haruka muttered, scowling inside her helmet as she sped along the road, revving the engine of her bike angrily 'That gold-plated bastard!'

Ever since the other day, Haruka hadn't been able to stop thinking about the self proclaimed Kamen Rider, nor had she been able to forget the beating he'd given her and Michiru. It was only because of the sheer defensive power of the Senshi armor that the two weren't in hospital right now.

'Self righteous prick…' she muttered, glaring at the road ahead as she raced along 'Who does he think he is, comparing us to the Death Busters?'

Beneath the blonde's stung pride, a part of her had been hurt by the comparison. Tactics aside, she was still a Sailor Senshi, and was PROUD of it. But what she'd seen, the future that might unfold if the talismans hadn't been found, had forced her to harden her heart, knowing that if she didn't, then countless lives would be lost.

'He doesn't understand anything.' She muttered, hoping that if she repeated it several times, she might come to believe it herself, only to blink as the sound of a police siren filled the air 'SHIT!'

* * *

_Michiru, Lulu and Usagi..._

While Haruka was getting acquainted with the long arm of the law, Lelouch, Michiru and Usagi were visiting the Juuban art museum, marveling at the numerous art displays that lined the walls.

'Certainly more impressive than the Clovis Memorial Museum.' Lelouch noted, snorting wryly at the memory of the museum that had been erected in memory of his foppish half-brother, the first Britannian Royal to die at his hands. THAT museum had been rife with Britannian propaganda, typical of anything even remotely connected to the nobility.

'Euphie really was a brave one.' He marveled, recalling how his sister had selected a work presented by a part-Japanese entrant as the first place winner, over a 'stirring' portrait of their father. Personally, Lelouch wouldn't even have hesitated if he'd been in the same position, as the other painting had been more soulful, and carried more meaning than the rest of the artwork, which were little more than attempts to curry favor.

"So Michiru-san," Usagi asked, looking up at the aquamarine haired young woman with obvious respect in her eyes "Do you want to be a violinist in the future?"

"I'm not sure." Michiru admitted, and for a moment er gaze turned sad "I'm not sure why I was born. I can't decide which road to take…" she smiled sadly "You could say I'm lost."

"That's just like me!" Usagi exclaimed, pointing to herself excitedly as she hugged the older girl's violin case to her chest "I'm lost too!"

"I see…" Michiru noted, smiling at the younger girl before turning to Lelouch "And you, Lamperouge-san? Do you have any idea what you want to be?"

"Alive?" Lelouch joked, earning a soft laugh from the older girl and a blink of confusion from Usagi "To tell the truth I've never really thought about it, there aren't many roles out there that appeal to me."

"Surely you have a dream?" Michiru pressed, only to blink at Lelouch's smile, which seemed at the same time saddened and fulfilled.

"I've already obtained my dream." The former Emperor assured the woman, his eyes going distant as he recalled his last moments of life, how Nunnally, sweet, innocent Nunnally, had pieced together the puzzle, and forgiven him for his sins.

"Lelouch-san?" Usagi wondered, blinking at the teen in confusion, a blush adorning her features at how mature he looked, his regal features and silken black locks presenting an almost feminine beauty. Michiru was likewise stunned by the teen's appearance, while she and Haruka were an 'item', so to speak, it didn't mean she couldn't appreciate beauty where she saw it, even if it WAS from a male.

"Excuse me," a voice called out, the trio turning to see a young man standing before them, a look of excitement on his face "Are you Kaioh Michiru-san? The one who painted this picture?" he beamed at Michiru's confirmation "Oh man! I'm a huge fan of your work! I've been looking forward to the exhibition next week!"

"You're quite talented, Kaioh-san." Lelouch noted, smiling at the aquamarine haired young woman as she saw off her fan "A Musician AND an Painter at your age?"

"Thank you." Michiru offered smiling at the elder teen as she waited for Haruka to return from her ride. The trio moved out of the Museum to await the tomboy's return, though Usagi had apparently slipped off for a second, leaving the elder two alone.

"I would assume someone as talented as you would have any pick of choices for what to do with the future." Lelouch prodded, eyeing the talented young woman enquiringly. It certainly seemed a waste for her to not be able to do anything with her talents.

"You think so?" Michiru wondered, smiling sadly "I suppose you're not the only one…" she gazed at the ground "However, lately I just haven't been able to put much thought into it."

Lelouch quirked a brow, wondering what on earth could be bothering the woman, only for Michiru's phone to go off, snapping the woman out of her thoughts. "Hello?" she answered, her features brightening slightly "Ah! Haruka! I was wondering…" they fell in confusion "Wait, what do you mean you won't be able to make the recital?" her eyes widened in alarm "Police station? Arrested for speeding? HARUKA-NO-BAKA!"

'Well that's interesting…' Lelouch muttered, watching nervously as Michiru gave her blonde friend a right telling off over the phone 'She always looks so calm, I never thought she'd be so…SCARY.'

"Honestly…" Michiru muttered, shaking her head in exasperation as she hung up "Now what am I going to do? The Recital is tonight, and I don't feel like going alone…"

"You could take Usagi." Lelouch suggested, smiling at the woman's look of confusion "I know she'd enjoy a chance to see a professional musician play. And she seems smitten with you."

"I think it'd be more appropriate for her to go with her boyfriend." Michiru chuckled, her bad mood receding in the face of Lelouch's teasing "I've two tickets to spare in any case, but it still leaves me without an escort and I've been looking forward to this Recital for some time now."

"I'm not doing anything this evening." Lelouch admitted, surprising even himself with his forwardness as Michiru looked up at him "That is, if you don't mind going with someone you just met."

"Oh no, not at all." Michiru countered, smiling reassuringly at the teen "After all, a friend of Usagi-chan is always welcome, but this is a formal occasion, do you have a tuxedo?"

"I'm sure I can get my hands on one." Lelouch assured her, only to grimace as a horrible screeching noise, like a thousand strangled cats in a blender, sounded behind them, the duo whipping round to see Usagi trying to play Michiru's violin, and failing EPICALLY.

'I didn't even THINK someone could be so bad!' Lelouch swore, clapping his hands over his ears in agony 'Good Grief it's worse than when Clovis sang for the choir!'

* * *

Later...

"Wow!" Usagi marveled, the blonde dressed in a strapless pink evening gown as she clung to her beloved Mamo-chan's arm "Even in a tuxedo without a mask, you're still so refined!"

"But a violin recital…" Mamoru muttered, smiling down at his girlfriend with a hint of concern "Aren't you trying a little TOO hard, Usako?"

"Well Excuse me!" Usagi pouted, averting her eyes and crossing her arms "I may look like this now, but I'm a future princess!"

"You certainly look the part." A familiar voice called out, the blonde looking up to see Lelouch standing nearby, dressed in an impressively well cut tuxedo, black in contrast to Mamoru's white "Which would make Mamoru-san prince charming, sans the white horse."

"Lelouch-san!" Usagi exclaimed, surprised to see the handsome elder teen, flushing slightly as she hugged her Mamo-chan at the compliment "You're here too?"

"I'm escorting Michiru-san, since Haruka-san couldn't make it." Lelouch admitted, tactfully avoiding mentioning the fact the blonde had been arrested for speeding.

"Eh! So lucky!" Usagi exclaimed, looking at the teen in admiration "Michiru-san is so refined! Good work Lelouch-san!"

"It isn't a date, Usagi-san." Lelouch chuckled, smiling at the girl as he waved a hand "I merely offered to escort her as it's dangerous for a woman to go to such a thing alone."

"True." Mamoru agreed, nodding his head at the younger man's words "What with everything that's been happening lately, it isn't safe to walk the streets alone."

"Usagi-chan!" a quartet of voices called out, the group looking round to see the rest of the senshi, in civilian form and evening wear, coming towards them.

"Everyone?" the blonde wondered, only to huff and turn her head to the side, still upset from their abandoning her earlier "You're going to say this isn't like me, right?"

"I'm really sorry, Usagi-chan!" Makoto offered, clasping her hands together "You really were serious about learning to cook, weren't you?"

"Luna told us that you were going to be here." Minako admitted, subtly tilting her head slightly towards the two Mau, who were keeping silent due to Lelouch's presence.

"Just leave it to me!" Rei proclaimed, smiling teasingly at her friend "If you fall asleep during the recital, I'll be there to wake you up!"

"Such good friends you have, Usagi-san." Lelouch noted, drawing the girls' attention to himself as he smiled approvingly "I'm almost jealous."

"Oh well…" Usagi chuckled, rubbing the back of her head, embarrassed by all the attention, before turning to her friends "Everyone, this is Lelouch-san, he's Michiru-san's escort for the evening."

"Eh? You mean Haruka-san couldn't make it?" Minako wondered, the startled Senshi gaping at the handsome foreign teen in surprise.

"Miss Tennoh had a…prior engagement that couldn't be avoided." Lelouch offered, his tone polite as he smiled at the group, once again marveling at how no-one had recognized them as the Sailor Senshi, "It's a pleasure to meet you all," he greeted, offering a polite, courtier's bow to the group "Usagi never told me she had such beautiful friends."

The Senshi flushed, poor Ami hiding her face behind the music book she'd brought along for Usagi while Rei, who wasn't very trusting of suave men to begin with, struggled to keep her features straight. Makoto's face had turned bright red, her eyes going distant as she once again recalled her old sempai, while Minako was gazing at the teen with a look of HUNGER that was quite unsettling.

"In any case, it sounds like things are about to start." Lelouch noted, turning towards the auditorium, where people were piling in as the doors opened, "It's been a pleasure ladies." He offered, giving them one last, parting bow before turning on his heels, eager to get inside and find Michiru.

"Oooooh, he is KY-UTE!" Minako giggled, the blonde looking excited as she watched the elder teen vanish into the crowd "And foreign too! So mysterious!"

"He's okay…" Rei muttered, unwilling to admit that her heart had raced when the elegant, foreign teen had complimented them, how his bowing to them made her feel like a princess, which she technically was, albeit the reincarnation of one.

"Michiru-san's so lucky to have such a dreamy Sempai as her date…" Makoto sighed, her hands clasped together as she watched the tall, taller than HER even, teen disappear into the crowd.

"I hope they have a good evening." Ami prayed, smiling gently as she managed to get her blush under control. She wasn't used to someone like Lelouch complimenting her, she always felt rather plain compared to the other senshi.

"He certainly is a suave one." Luna noted, looking a little impressed with the foreign teen's composure and bearing "Where did you meet him, Usagi-chan?"

"Mamo-chan and I met him at the mansion with all the kitties!" Usagi admitted, earning a look of surprise from the girls "He said he was passing through the area and stopped there for the night."

"Wait, you mean he SLEPT in that rundown place?" Rei wondered, blinking in surprise as the other Senshi stared in shock "Why would he do that?"

"Maybe he owns it?" Ami wondered, placing a finger to her lips "I mean, perhaps he owns the property and was surveying it for when it has to be developed?"

"Would make sense…" Artemis muttered, looking perplexed by the revelation "Though why spend the night there at all?"

"Perhaps it was his families home and he wanted to spend one last night there before it was torn down?" Minako supposed, tapping her fist in her palm "You know what they say: Home is where the Carp Fish!"

"Minako-chan, it's 'Home Is Where The HEART Is'." Ami sighed, the Senshi sweatdropping at the blonde's mistake, even as they filed towards the music hall, eager to get their seats before the performance started.

* * *

And we'll leave off there.

C.C: Also, for those who didn't get it last time, BW Scorponok painted maximal insignia's on his missiles in the 'This Bullet's got your name on it' mindset.

Lelouch: Oh Su-ZA-ku-!

C.C: Wow...he actually managed to sing that...

Kallen: Dear God the look in his eyes!

Kyugan: Get's you all hot and flustered doesn't it!

NUT CRACKER!

Kyugan: *Squeaky voice* I regret NOTHING-!


	10. Chapter 10

An early update cause I had it ready.

Some people have been asking when Lulu's gonna get around to improiving the world's tech. He's gonna need credentials for that, and he needs to find a way to power it that doesn't relyon Sakuradite, which wile plentiful in HIS world, is probably nonexistent here.

So for the most part, he'll be dividing his time between hunting Daimon, looking for 'her', and trying to discover how to run 'his' tech off the equivalent of AA bateries.

Enjoy.

* * *

Outer Rider Concerto.

Inside the dressing room, one of the violinists that was to perform that evening was busy preparing himself, straightening his tie before the mirror, his back to his instrument, which rested within its open case.

So enamored was the musician with his task, that he failed to notice a small seed floating into the room through the door he'd left open in order to hear the call to go on stage. The seed, unnoticed by the man, drifted over to the violin, taking care to avoid being spotted in the mirror, slowly burying itself into the instrument, leaving no trace of it's presence in the polished wood.

"Hm?" violinist wondered, turning round slowly, having sworn he heard something behind him, only to sigh, shrugging offhandedly before turning back to his preparations, passing the whole thing off as a case of nerves.

After all, even pro musicians felt a little stage fright on the night of a big performance.

* * *

_Concert hall..._

"Hi." Michiru greeted, the aquamarine beauty smiling at her escort as Lelouch approached her in the foyer "You're looking pretty sharp tonight."

"Thank you." Lelouch offered, taking in the young woman's fetching yellow ball gown with an approving smile "You look radiant yourself, though Haruka-san will probably murder me for saying so."

"Haruka IS rather overprotective of me." Michiru chuckled, smiling at how jealous her lover could be at times, even going so far as to physically HURT anyone that tried to flirt with her. On the one hand it was flattering to know she was loved so much, but on the other, it sometimes made Michiru feel smothered, ESPECIALLY since Haruka saw now qualms in flirting with everything with a pretty face.

"I can see why." Lelouch admitted, smiling at his escort for the evening "Beauty and Talent in one pretty little package, you're like a work of art yourself, Michiru-san."

"Flatterer." Michiru smiled, flushing slightly at the compliment as she took the elder teen's arm in hers. She may be in a relationship with Haruka, but that didn't mean she couldn't accept a compliment from a man, and Lelouch certainly WAS a splendid example of the species.

'Black hair like silk, regal features, deep, emotional purple eyes.' She marveled, taking in the teen's appearance with approval 'He must be descended from some form of nobility, it shows in the way he carries himself.'

The two presented their tickets to the usher, who directed them to a private booth, which Michiru had obtained through her contacts with the theatre. Settling into the comfortable, and private balcony seats, the pair found themselves gazing down at the sea of people that had gathered to see the recital. "Quite the crowd." Lelouch noted, scanning the masses with a critical eye "It's good to see such appreciation for the arts."

"Do you enjoy classical music, Lamperouge-san?" Michiru asked, smiling at the elder teen inquisitively "That's a rarity in today's age."

"Please, call me Lelouch." The former Emperor offered, smiling encouragingly at the aquamarine beauty "And I DO enjoy classical music, in particular the piano. I find Mozart's Moonlight Sonata to be particularly moving."

"I love that song." Michiru admitted with a smile, a distant look on her face "I first heard it when I was a girl, it seemed so…beautiful, and yet so transient."

"Almost a Fantasy…" Lelouch agreed, glad to have someone to talk to that shared his tastes. Admittedly, he hadn't played the piano since childhood, there'd been hardly any chance once he'd been exiled with Nunnally, and when he came to Ashford, he'd only played whenever there was no-one around to hear, and then it was only to keep his skills up or to pass the time. 'Then again, the Shinkiro's system was rather like playing a piano.' He noted, smiling at the memory of his personal Knightmare.

"I see Usagi-chan and her friends made it." Michiru noted, peering down at the seats below through a pair of binoculars, which had been graciously provided by the auditorium staff "I assume the handsome fellow with her is her boyfriend?"

"Chiba Mamoru." Lelouch relayed, peering through his own set to espy the Senshi and Tuxedo Kamen, in their civilian forms of course, sitting below, Makoto, Rei and Minako frowning at Usagi, who was hugging Mamoru's arm, while Ami innocently read a book, waiting for the music to start.

"It's so nice to be young." Michiru noted, smiling at how innocent and happy the pigtailed blonde was, without a care in the world.

"You really shouldn't talk like that, Michiru-san." Lelouch countered, his tone teasing as he eyed the young woman coyly "You'll wind up sounding like an old woman, which wouldn't suit your looks at all."

"Flatterer." Michiru teased, smiling at the elder teen, unable to help the guilty thrill that passed through her at the compliment, only to resume her seat as the lights dimmed, an applause starting up as the curtain rose to reveal the first performance, a male violinist and a female pianist.

The violinist bowed to the crowd, before taking a deep breath before beginning his song, Lelouch's eyes closing as the opening strings from Boccherini's 'Minuet from String' washed over him, the former Emperor losing himself in the beautiful soulful music that was slowly filling the hall.

It truly was a beautiful piece, one that anyone who listened to classical music, even in passing, could appreciate. It had a light, uplifting feel that could stir up all sorts of positive emotions.

'Euphemia loved this piece…' Lelouch recalled, his thoughts turning to his pink-haired Half-sibling, one of the kindest, gentlest women he'd ever had the fortune to meet 'Just hearing it again reminds me of how she used to practice for hours on end.'

Euphemia's death was one of the few that Lelouch well and truly regretted, mainly because it was entirely HIS fault. He couldn't blame C.C, she'd WARNED him that overuse of his Geass would cause it to run rampant, and yet he'd neglected to take proper precautions, refusing to believe that such a thing would happen to him, despite C.C having more experience with her contractors' abilities than anyone else, Mao being a prime example of how badly things could turn out.

'I wonder if Euphemia was part of C's world too?' he wondered idly, unable to recall much of anything of the time he'd spent as part of the collective, subconscious mind of mankind 'It would have been nice to see her again…to hear her voice…'

He was snapped out of his thoughts by a high-pitched and screeching, his eyes snapping open as he clapped his hands over his ears, teeth clenching from the agony.

'And I thought Usagi's playing was bad!' he swore, grimacing as he peered at the stage, wondering what on earth the violinist was thinking, only to scowl as he realized that while the violin was the source of the noised, the Violinist wasn't the one playing the strings.

* * *

_On stage..._

The violinist couldn't understand what was happening, one minute he'd been playing beautifully, the next his violin, which he'd tended to before coming on stage, started playing off-key. He'd stopped for a moment to see what was going on, but to his shock, the noise continued despite his not touching the strings.

Unable to bear the god-awful noise any longer, he'd released his grip on the instrument, clapping his hands over his ears. But rather than dropping to the floor, his violin had risen into the air, a bright light erupting from it, along with a sinister, yet at the same time operatic laughter that sounded like a diva testing her voice.

As the crowd looked on in horrified wonder, the violin's shape began to contort in time to the voice, changing into a female humanoid in a one piece outfit styled after a violin. In it's hand rested a violin bow, which it used to stroke the strings adorning the front of it's body.

"OCTAVE-!" it shrilled, unleashing a horrible, high-pitched shriek in time with the god-awful playing, the sound waves emanating from her mouth slamming into the audience, knocking almost the entire auditorium unconscious, including her former master.

Laughing operatically as she hovered over the unconscious violinist, Octave opened up her violin-style one-piece, revealing the trademark black-star tattoo over her naval "OCTAVE-!" she shrieked, sending the black beam of energy at the man, extracting his Pure Heart Crystal without much fuss, a cold smirk on her face as she turned to make her escape.

* * *

_In the booth..._

'Damn…' Lelouch muttered, the teen slumping against the balcony, his eyelids heavy as he struggled to remain awake 'And I thought Tamaki had a bad singing voice…'

"Lelouch-san?" Michiru called out, the young woman's concerned features hovering over his own as she checked him over, Lelouch noting with some interest that she didn't seem to be affected by the noise at all "Stay here! I'm going to get help!"

"Michiru-san…" he grunted, managing to lift one arm in an attempt to waylay her, as he REALLY didn't need a trip to the hospital leading to unwanted questions, only for the Michiru to race off before he could stop her "Dammit…of all the times…!"

"You look like you're having fun." A voice called out, Lelouch turning his head sluggishly to see C3 hovering up over the balcony, the golden Caucasus Zecter buzzing like sweet music to is ears "Were you planning to take her to dinner next?"

"Jealousy ill suits you." Lelouch shot back sluggishly, managing a weak smirk as the Zecter huffed at being caught out "In any case, I don't think there's much I can do, my whole body feels like lead."

"It wasn't just a sound wave that hit you." C3 pointed out "It was a magical attack, most normal humans have no immunity against them. Quite frankly I'm surprised you're still conscious."

"I've heard worse." Lelouch muttered, snorting wryly at the memory of Rivalz singing in the men's shower after gym class. Poor guy couldn't hold a tune to save his life "Still doesn't do me any good if I can barely MOVE."

"Let Me worry about that." C3 assured him, the golden Zecter buzzing down to his wrist, pressing the "STANDBY!" button with her horn before attaching herself to the brace with a cry of "HENSHIN!"

Sure enough, the hexagonal plates spread from the brace to cover Lelouch's limp frame, the teen's eyes blinking open as the transformation finished, leaving him in his Masked Form.

"I told you before that Masked Form focuses more on Defense than Offense." C3 reminded the teen, her tone bemused "That includes a built-in incubation system that heals any damage to the Rider's body the longer he remains in Masked Mode."

"Clever…" Caucasus noted, getting to his feet and examining his hands, noting with approval that the leaden feeling was slowly fading away, only to look up as the sound of shattering glass sounded from outside "Looks like the Senshi just bumped into trouble."

"When don't they?" C3 noted, her tone amused even as Caucasus turned around and raced out of the booth, intent on getting a little payback on this newest Daimon.

* * *

_With the Senshi..._

"HOLD IT!" Sailor Moon called out, the gathered Senshi standing before the Daimon with their hands on their hips "You just wrecked my important Romantic Night!" she proclaimed angrily the group going through their respective poses as they glared at the Daimon "In the name of the Moon, We shall Punish You!"

Octave merely laughed operatically, before bringing her bow up to stroke the strings that made up the front of her suit "OCTAVE-!" she shrieked, sending a wall of sound at the Senshi, who froze in their tracks, unable to do anything but stare ahead.

"I…I can't move…!" Mars exclaimed, the group dropping limply to the floor as Octave's assault halted, the Daimon laughing operatically as it realized the perfect chance it had been given to finish off it's Masters' enemy.

Loosing another operatic cry, like a diva testing her voice, the Daimon began to play her strings, the tempo rising and falling rapidly as the sound waves from her mouth intensified, the rings converging into a single, focused beam of ultra-sound that actually drilled into the pavement.

Raising her head, causing the beam to travel upwards, the Daimon continued to scream, her eyes locked on the paralyzed Senshi, who could do little but look on in horror as the beam drew rapidly closer, carving up the pavement in it's path.

"OW~!" Octave cried, her scream cutting off scant inches before reaching Sailor Moon, the Daimon dropping her bow as she held her wounded hand in the air, a single red rose embedding itself in the ground next to her.

"Tuxedo Kamen-sama!" Sailor Moon exclaimed, looking up in relief to see her beloved perched atop a nearby streetlight.

"A serenade suits such a beautiful moonlit night." The Guardian of the Sailor Senshi called out, his tone composed and regal as always "Anything that would disrupt such harmony shall be stopped!"

"OCTAVE~!" the Daimon shrieked, picking up it's bow and launching a burst of sound at the tuxedo wearing warrior, who easily avoided it by leaping from his perch, the Daimon swiftly following his example to avoid being hit by Jupiter's Sparkling Wide Pressure, which slammed into the doors of the Auditorium instead, causing a small explosion that knocked down a section of wall.

"Be careful!" Mercury exclaimed, looking at her shocked comrade in alarm "There are still people in the concert hall!"

Octave, who knew that all to well, landed before the Senshi and smirked, tilting her head back while gesturing for them to try their luck with her bow, the stolen Heart Crystal held in her free hand.

"Argh! It's got a twisted personality!" Moon exclaimed, stamping her foot in annoyance, only to yelp as Octave launched another shock wave attack at them, forcing them to scatter.

"DEEP SUBMERGE!" a Voice called out, the Daimon looking up just in time to see a giant ball of water in the shape of a planet smash into her, sending her flying back into the lobby of the Concert hall.

"Gracefully guided by the new Era:" A familiar, at least to the two blonde senshi, called out, her Aquamarine hair shining in the light as she stood atop a nearby statue "Sailor Neptune!"

"Neptune?" Tuxedo Kamen called out, the reincarnated Prince of Earth looking up at the elder Senshi in surprise, even as the rest of the Senshi eyed her with looks that were equal parts stunned and wary. They'd been told how the two new Senshi acted the last time by Minako, but were prepared to give them the benefit of the doubt for now "Why are you here? Did you come to help us? Where's Uranus?"

"Uranus is occupied elsewhere." Neptune replied calmly, her arms crossed before her as she gazed down at the group "And I ask that you don't look too far into this, my objective here is to search for the Talismans, that's all."

"OCTAVE~!" the Daimon called out suddenly, the group looking round in alarm to see the Violin monster had gotten o it's feet, and didn't look too pleased at being ambushed earlier, sending a focused burst of ultra-sound at the rogue Senshi.

"Look out!" Sailor Moon cried, looking on in alarm as the beam raced towards the startled Sailor Neptune, who hadn't been expecting the Daimon to SURVIVE the attack, only to blink as the elder senshi disappeared before the Attack could hit her, followed almost simultaneously by Octave being knocked ass over teakettle across the ground, away from the doors of the concert hall "Eh? What just happened?"

"CLOCK OVER!" a voice cried out, the Senshi whipping round, only to gape at the sight of Caucasus standing behind them, an equally stunned Neptune held in his arms bridal style.

* * *

_With Caucasus..._

"That was too close." Caucasus muttered, the Golden Rider glaring at the downed Daimon, having Cast Off his Masked Form's armor when he saw it launching it's attack, activating the Clock Up feature almost immediately afterwards, racing off to grab Neptune out of the way of the attack, giving Octave a passing kick to the midriff in passing.

"Y-You?" Neptune stammered, looking up at the Golden Rider in alarm, both stunned and confused at what had just happened.

"You okay?" Caucasus asked, looking down at the stunned Aquamarine Senshi in his arms, his tone laced with concern "You're not hurt are you?"

"N-No…" Neptune countered, caught off guard by the sudden, unexpected attack, and her even more unexpected rescuer "T-Thank you…you can put me down now."

"If you insist." Caucasus offered, setting the rogue Senshi down carefully leg first, allowing her to step away from him "Try to be more careful next time." he advised, stepping away from the Senshi and towards the downed Daimon "Always make sure the enemy is defeated before stopping to strike up a conversation."

"Why?" Neptune asked, still shaken by the experience, looking at the Kamen Rider with understandable confusion "Why did you save me?" she elaborated, which wasn't an odd question if you really thought about it. The last time she and Uranus had faced the Rider, he'd beaten them literally half to death, leaving them to drag themselves out of the trench before the authorities could show up to investigate the sound of gunfire and explosions "I thought we were enemies?"

"We're not enemies." Caucasus countered, his back to the Senshi as he continued to walk towards the downed Daimon "That being said we aren't allies either, we might have a similar objective, but your way of doing things isn't all that different from the Death Busters."

Neptune flinched, looking like she'd been slapped in the face as she lowered her gaze, conflicting emotions visible in her eyes.

"That being said…" Caucasus called out, snapping the Senshi out of her thoughts "I couldn't live with myself if I allowed a woman to come to harm." He looked at her over his shoulder, and for some reason, she felt as if he were smiling at her "Besides, your partner would be upset if anything happened to you, right?"

Neptune blinked, feeling a strange heat rise up in her stomach at the Riders words, only to snap out of it as Octave got to it's feet, the Villainous Violin's body cracked in several places from where Caucasus' armor had slammed into it. "OCTAVE-!" it screeched, scraping it's bow across the damaged strings, intent on punishing the Rider for his transgressions, only for Caucasus to roll out of the way, rising to his knees with a growl.

"Still a little sluggish." The Rider swore, getting to his feet with a grimace "Still better than I was earlier though."

Getting to his feet, the Rider glared at the Daimon as it launched another attack at him, only to calmly slap the side of his belt, disappearing from view once more with a cry of "CLOCK UP!"

* * *

_With the Senshi..._

"How does he keep doing that?" Mercury wondered, her visor out as she tried to track the Riders movements with her Mercury computer, the rest of the Senshi looking on in amazement as Octave was suddenly battered around as if she'd been stuck in a dry-cleaner, the Daimon's cries of pain interrupted by a sickening cracking noise "He isn't teleporting, there's no magical signature!"

"How can he be doing all that without magic?" Jupiter countered, looking on in awe as Octave was smashed face first into the ground, only to be kicked into the air almost in the same instant by whatever was attacking her.

The Daimon, who by now had several cracks adorning her once pristine wooden body, crashed into the ground with a wail, just as Caucasus reappeared with a cry of "CLOCK OVER!"

"Ah…" the Rider sighed, rotating his shoulders as if too loosen up "That's better, nothing like a little high-octane adrenalin to kick-start the body." He glanced over his shoulder at the Daimon, which was struggling back to it's feet "Stubborn one aren't you?" he muttered, sounding torn between annoyance and boredom as he turned to face Sailor Moon "What do you say we give her a final curtain call?"

"A what?" the blonde Senshi wondered, blinking in confusion, only to yelp as Mars smacked her loved fist into her leader's head "OW!"

"BAKA!" the Senshi of Fire snapped, looking embarrassed at her 'fearless leader's lack of advanced vocabulary "He's saying he wants you to finish it off!"

"I was thinking of finishing it off together actually." Caucasus admitted, earning looks of shock from the Senshi, even as he turned to Neptune, who'd been standing off to the side, looking at the exchange in confusion "Care to make it a Trio, Neptune?"

The Aquamarine senshi blinked, looking at the Rider uncertainly, only to smile, nodding her head as she raised her hands above her head, summoning a sphere of water "DEEP SUBMERGE!"

"MOON SPIRAL…!" Sailor Moon called out, twirling the Spiral Heart Rod before striking a pose "HEART ATTACK!"

"OCTAVE!" the Daimon yelled, looking on in alarm as it tried to stagger out of the path, only to freeze as a cry of "CLOCK OVER!" sounded behind it.

"RIDER BEAT!" the Caucasus Zecter declared, the Golden Rider's horns charged with electricity as he delivered a punishing snap kick to the Daimon's back, sending it flying straight into the combined attacks of the Senshi.

"LOVELY!" it screamed in it's operatic voice, it's form contorting painfully, only to revert to it's original form, a battered Violin with it's strings snapped landing on the ground before them, the Daimon Seed expelled from it's body releasing a fearful wail as it died, the heart crystal hovering in the air above it, only to drift towards Caucasus' outstretched palm.

"Gotcha." Caucasus muttered, only to look up as Neptune stepped forwards, the rogue Senshi looking uncertain but determined "It doesn't appear to have a Talisman." He informed her, holding it out to her as he spoke "You can check for yourself if you don't believe me."

Neptune blinked, clearly surprised by the offer, only to smile, shaking her head as she stepped away from the crystal, much to the surprise of the other Senshi. "Please return the crystal, the heart of an artist such as this is very fragile."

"What's with the change of heart?" Caucasus asked, his tone intrigued as he eyed the rogue senshi through his visor "I thought you and your partner would do whatever it takes to find the Talismans."

"Consider it a thank you for earlier." Neptune replied, smiling at the Rider as she turned around to walk away "Take care, Kamen Rider-san."

So saying, she leapt into the air, heedless of the other Senshi's cries for her to wait.

* * *

_Later..._

"Well it looks like everyone made it out okay." Lelouch noted, the former emperor leaning on a bridge rail as he watched the girls demand Mamoru, treat them to dinner.

"I'm sorry I left you there, Lamperouge-san." Michiru offered, looking concerned, the two of them having met up afterwards "Are you sure you're feeling alright?"

"I'm fine." Lelouch assured her "I'm just sorry we couldn't see the rest of the concert." He smiled at her encouragingly "maybe we can get together again sometime?"

"I'd like that." Michiru admitted, smiling at the older teen as they turned to smile at the scene below, as an enraged Usagi tried to pry her friends off her boyfriend for mooching.

* * *

And we'll leave off there.

C.C: Okay, what's with the little thing at the end there?

Kyugan: What?

C.C: They wee flirting, why?

Kyugan: Why not?

C.C: Michiru's a lesbian, Haruka too.

Kyugan: Lelouch is just that good.

Lelouch: Good at what?

Kyugan: See, he doesn't even know it!

C.C: You're an idiot.


	11. Chapter 11

And we're back again.

Some of you wondered how Lelouch is going around spreading technological advancements. One of you hit the nail on the head by suggesting he's recruiting the local yakuza to do his bidding, and you'd be right, though since it mainly happens off screen, we'll never see them in person.

Now one of my many reviewers noted that it might be nice to give a little backstory for all those that weren't familliar with certain elements of the show. I'm fairly certain almost everyone knows of them in some shape or form (heck, a few admitted to looking up the series BECAUSE of fanfiction) but who am I to Dissapoint.

Let's start off with Sailor Moon, since it's pretty much set in the SM universe. For those of you already in the know of what many considered one of the 'founding' Magical Girl series ever released, feel free to skip ths section. For those of you who're fresh to the concept of pretty sailor soldiers of love and justice, strap yourselves in.

Daskete-! Kyugan-sensei!

For those of you new to the series, The story of Sailor Moon revolves around Tsukino Usagi (or Bunny/Serena Tsukino depending on your media translation), an everyday japanese schoolgirl who, (again, depending on your media) is either clutzy but kind or your typical overly dramatic anime schoolgirl cliche (Ie loves to chat, gossip, binge of junk food, read manga, falls in love at the drop of a hat, does horribly on tests...you get the picture.)

Usagi: You're Mean!

Enter Luna, a magical 'moon cat' (or Mau if you wanna get technical, who essentially ropes our heroine into battling the forces of evil in a revealing short-skirt and swimsuit combination. I'm sure I don't need to describe what it looks like, suffice to say, a new fandom emerged from the first chapter/episode.

Usagi: What's a fandom?

Minako: *Sly grin* Well, Usagi it's when...*

Usagi:...EH?

Long story short, she winds up recruiting new allies in the Sailor Senshi/Scouts, each named after the planet they apparently ruled over in dayslong past, and set about trying to protect the world in the name of Love and Justice (Which, according to Megatokyo's Junpei, makes them more dangerous than your typical villain apparently).

Junpei: Ninja follow code of honor, is much safer.

Makoto: You remind me of my old senpai...

The current 'arc' which we find ourselves in is what's known as Sailor Moon S (or Super), where the evil Death Busters are going around stealing Pure Heart Crystals for their dastardly plan. I won't spoil the specifics for those who haven't watched the series, but it's pretty devious even for a shoujo anime, so look it up on wikipedia if you have the time.

Ami: (does so)...oh this won't end well...

The series was created by Takeuchi Naoko, who as some of you may know later married fellow mangaka (and one of my altime favourite ones at that) Togashi Yushihiro, the creator of old school classic Yu Yu Hakusho and the recent hit HunterXHunter. I don't know if they married during their respective series run or somewhere near the end, but I like to think during, as during one scene in the Manga, Kurama makes a reference to Tuxedo Kamen/Mask when he saves an injured Yusuke and Kuwbara from being ganged up on by local gangs.

Kurama: Just call me Tuxedo Mask/Kamen...

Rei, Makoto & Minako: EEEE! BISHIE!

Kurama: Oh dear...

The series was 'set' around the late eighties early ninties (evident from what many would consider outdated technology prevalent in the backgrounds), which was pretty much the standard for the times as YYH and other series set in the same period did the same. Strangely enough, there's a remarkable contrast between the original Manga 'Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon', and the Anime most of us a more familliar with. For starters, the art style alone is VASTLY different, but then, considering the sheer amount of detail in the original designs, I suppose it's understandable that the animation studios took certain liberties.

Usagi: Ohmigawd my hair looks AWESOME!

Ami: Oh my...

This isn't to say that there's anything WRONG with the anime style, hell it's the most iconic one, but the Manga definately gives the series a more Shoujo feel, and is surprsingly a little more bloody (Venus runs Beryl through with a sword, how epic is that?)

Venus: (Grins and holds up wink Sword) Boo-yah!

Next of all is the, for lack of a better word, Power Levels of the senshi. Fans of the anime will probably be surprsied to note that the Manga Senshi were apparently in the 'Planet Buster' class, then again, channelling the magical energies of an entire PLANET will probably do that.

Vegeta:...

Rei: Say it bitch...

Vegeta: (Sighs) It's over EIGHT THOUSAND!

Usagi: Hey! That's not right!

Ami: Actually, it technically is...

In addition, Venus, who showed up part way through series one, was actually supposed to be the LEADER of the Inner Senshi, and the closest friend of 'Princess Serenity', aka Usagi's past self (as there never WAS a Sailor Moon centuries ago, wonder why?

Artemis: Minako? The LEADER?

Luna:...Even WE don't have enough lives to deal with this...

The characters from the manga and anime are subtly different as well. The Manga incarnations are a little more serious (as they tend to do) and possess similar traits to their anime counterparts, but not to the extreme (for example, Rei's fiery temper seems absent, though her priestess skills are still top notch). In contrast the Anime ones seem more fleshed out, possibly to make them a little more 'realistic' (i know, the irony) but some believe it was to help guys relate to the characters more, but don't quote me on that.

Ami: They've done this to other series as well, like the Sacred Blacksmith.

Makoto: How could she go from competent to INCOMPETENT in translation?

And now we move onto battles. Originally, it was simply the 'main villains' (Beryl and her Generals, the Dark Moon clan, the Death Busters etc) that the Senshi were forced to deal with, not whatever random monster they managed to pull out of their hats. For example, from what I recall each General usually died in the chapter when the Senshi specific to that Chapter would 'awaken'. This was considerably dumbed down in the Manga, in order to introduce the iconical 'villains of the week', in the form of Youma, Droids, Daimon and so forth, which basically became the 'cannon fodder' to flesh out the story a little more.

Zoicite: Thank you! You've no iea how much Nookie time I missed out on before!

Kunzite/Malachite: There there...

To put it bluntly, if I were basing this off the MANGA Sailor Moon chapters, this would be a pretty short fic. Not TOO short, some manga arcs went on for several books after all, but nowhere near as long as basing it off the anime would be.

Not that I'm complaining, it made for some pretty interesting fight scenes ^_^

Females: Pervert.

And next we come to another, startling difference, one which might have made the anime series better or worse depending on circumstance. In the Anime, Tuxedo Kamen/Mask, or as I like to jokingly refer to him 'Tuxedo Cheerleader', is actually a COMPETENT fighter, and can hold his own despite dressing like he's going to an opera. He also, from what I've heard, HARDLY, if EVER, throws roses as a distraction like he does in the anime.

Tuxedo Kamen: Oh bite me.

He also has a magical attack of his own, Tuxedo La Miracle Smoking Bomber...which looks like your generic ki blast from what I've seen, though I'll need better images to see what it exactly does.

And that's basically it for backstory corner this time. Next Time we'll take a look at the Kamen Rider elements of this little brainchild of mine, untill then, enjoy the chapter!

Everyone: Sankyuu, Kyugan-sensei!

* * *

Kiss and Make Up.

"Honestly," Michiru sighed, the aquamarine haired senshi shaking her head in exasperation as she sat across from Haruka, the blonde having been released after paying the fine for speeding "Arrested for speeding, some racing driver."

"Oh hush…" Haruka chuckled, smiling at her partner as she sipped her coffee "I think it's rather ironic, and the guys at the station were real friendly about it."

"I take it this wasn't your first time then." Michiru noted, sighing as Haruka flinched slightly, though she continued to smile weakly "Good grief Haruka I would have thought YOU of all people would have known better."

"I'm sorry alright?" Haruka winced, chuckling weakly at her partner's scolding "It won't happen again, I promise."

"Not with your license pulled it won't." Michiru jabbed, causing Haruka to wince, "It's a good thing they only took your license for motorcycles, or you'd be in hot water with the racing crew."

"Tell me about it." Haruka muttered, sighing in annoyance "Those grease monkeys give me a hard enough time for being a woman, last thing I need is the 'women driver' jokes."

"Some people never grow up." A familiar voice noted, the duo looking up to see Lelouch Lamperouge standing over them, a smile on his face "We meet again."

"Ah, Lamperouge-san." Michiru greeted, smiling warmly as she looked up at the foreign teen, while Haruka raised a hand in greeting "Thank you again for last night, I'm sorry you couldn't see the whole recital."

"These things happen." Lelouch assured her, smiling kindly "I'd be more than happy to pick up again where we left off." He smiled at Haruka "That is, if Tennoh-san wouldn't mind."

"I make no promises." Haruka snorted, smirking at the teen challengingly. She didn't like it when men hit on Michiru, but there was something about Lelouch that just didn't piss her off so much. For one thing, from what Michiru had told her of the 'date' to the Recital Hall, he'd been the perfect gentleman "And it's Haruka, Tennoh-san makes me sound like an old man."

"Which most certainly aren't." Lelouch noted, earning another snort from the shorthaired blonde, and an approving smile from Michiru. The two had so few friends as it was, it was nice to finally meet someone with whom she could banter without Haruka's jealousy rearing its ugly head.

"Would you like to sit with us?" Michiru asked, looking up at the elder teen "We were just sitting down for a treat before heading home."

"I wouldn't want to intrude." Lelouch countered, holding up both hands, only for Haruka to snort and grab him by the wrist, tugging him onto the seat next to her.

"Trust me, if you were intruding I'd soon let you know." The blonde assured him, smirking wryly as she moved up to make some room "Besides, I owe you one for covering for me last night."

"It wasn't a bother at all." Lelouch assured the blonde, smiling at Michiru "I couldn't let Michiru-san go alone, anything could have happened." He chuckled weakling as scratched his cheek "Not that I was much good when it DID."

"It's the thought that counts." Michiru assured the teen, smiling reassuringly at him "I'm simply glad you were there."

"EH?" a familiar, high-pitched shriek called out, the trio whipping round along with the rest of the café's patrons to gape at the source, a familiar pigtailed blonde with her hair up in meatballs. "A kiss with Mamo-chan?"

"U-Usagi-chan! You don't have to say it so loud!" a flushing, brunet waitress stammered, waving her arm to silence the blonde while looking around the store in embarrassment, only to relax as everyone went back to their seats "What about it Usagi-chan?" she asked, looking eager "Have you kissed Mamoru-san yet?" she smiled as Usagi flustered about, a look of dazed giddiness on her face "I see, if you're blushing like that then you probably haven't kissed yet!"

"EH?" Usagi jolted, sweatdropping at the waitress' assumption, looking torn between embarrassment and nervousness "Well…that's…"

"Of course it would be bad for you to kiss now." The Waitress supposed "Since Usagi-chan is still in junior-high." She sighed, missing the blonde's jolt of pain "And you've got entrance exams this year to boot!"

"Y-Yeah…" Usagi stammered, looking bug-eyed and depressed as the reality of the waitress' words pierced her like arrows "I'm just a poor little student with entrance exams…" she shook herself with a sigh "What about you Unazuki-san?" she asked, wiping her sweat with a hanky "You're in High School, so you've kissed a boy by now, right?"

"Well..." the brunette stammered, breaking out in a wild blush of her own as she put a hand to her cheek "There is a boy in my life, and I love him so much…" she sighed as Usagi leant in close "but...I haven't really kissed him yet."

'Is this seriously what teenage girls talk about?' Lelouch wondered, sweatdropping as Usagi planted her face in the table from shock, only to recover and demand why the other girl hadn't at least kissed her boyfriend yet 'Too bizarre…'

"Dreaming of kisses…" Haruka chuckled, smiling around the rim of her coffee cup, drawing the duo's attention "That's so cute.'

"I think its romantic." Michiru admitted, smiling at the younger girls "Do you know the about the first kiss in history?"

"I assume you're referring to the biblical Adam and Eve?" Lelouch queried, starting the pair, as they hadn't noticed him behind Haruka.

"Indeed." Michiru smiled, nodding her head in approval at the foreign teen "A perfect kiss for a perfect couple."

"Well Eve was supposedly born from one of Adam's ribs." Lelouch noted, earning a look of wonderment from Usagi and the waitress "So you could definately say they were made for each other."

"Sugoi…" Usagi sighed, the blonde's eyes going distant as she envisioned the first man and woman sharing a loving kiss in the garden of Eden, only to blush as the naked figures were replaced with herself and Mamoru.

"There are different kinds of kisses as well. Haruka added, a teasing smile adorning her face as she eyed the pair "A kiss to the back of the hand shows respect, a kiss to the forehead as a sign of friendship, a kiss to the palm to show affection…they all vary."

"You seem to be quite the expert on kissing, Haruka-san." Lelouch posed wryly, a little intrigued in-spite of himself. Being brought up as a royal, he knew all the correct ways to kiss a lady's hand when offered, having done so with Cornelia, Euphemia and Guinivere while growing up in the palace, and had often kissed Nunnally's brow as a sign of devotion, but had never heard of them being used as signs of friendship, and other than Shirley and Kallen, had little experience with kisses of affection.

Hell, he'd never actually KISSED a girl. He'd BEEN kissed, first by Shirley, distraught after the death of her father, then by C.C, in order to restore his memories, and finally by Kallen, to which he'd shown no reaction in order to protect her. He'd never actually instigated a kiss in his life, unless that one time he'd almost kissed Kallen after she found him attempting to use Refrain counted. God DAMN but the redheaded spitfire had a mean right hook.

"Lelouch-san, have you ever been kissed?" Usagi asked shyly, snapping the former Emperor out of his thoughts to find the women looking at him expectantly.

"A gentleman doesn't kiss and tell." He shot back cryptically, smiling wryly, causing the younger girls to blush, and Haruka to snort.

"Good answer." The shorthaired blonde applauded, glancing at her watch only to sigh and get to her feet "Sorry Odango, but Michiru and I need to get going." She smiled as Lelouch got out of her way, "Thanks again for looking after Michiru the other night," she offered, patting the teen on the shoulder before walking off "See you around, Odango, Lulu!"

* * *

_As Haruka and Michiru leave..._

"Haruka-san and Michiru-san are so mature…" Usagi sighed, watching the pair disappear into the distance, only to trail off as she noticed Lelouch staring after them with a look of shock "Lelouch-san?"

"Huh?" Lelouch stammered, blinking out of his daze, his eyes locking onto Usagi's face as if he'd only just recalled she was there "Oh sorry…" he offered, coughing to regain his composure "Sorry about that…Haruka just caught me by surprise is all."

"You mean when she called you Lulu?" Unazuki asked, the younger sister of Motoki, the cashier at Crown Arcade looking up at the foreign teen in confusion "You seemed to space out at that point."

"Yeah…" Lelouch muttered, a sad smile coming to his face as he recalled his old nickname, more accurately the one who used it "A girl I used to know always called me that, no matter how many times I told her to stop she'd keep it up, in the end it kind of stuck."

"Is she girl you kissed before?" Unazuki asked, the brunette's eyes lighting up eagerly as Lelouch turned to look at her "Was she your Girlfriend?"

"She was my first kiss actually." Lelouch admitted, a sad smile coming to his face as he recalled the strawberry-blonde Fennette, her radiant smile and kind eyes, her stubborn klutziness, rather like Usagi now he thought of it, though Shirley had been a pretty dedicated student "But no, we were just friends…" his features fell "just friends…"

"Lelouch-san?" Usagi wondered, looking up at the elder teen in confusion, her eyes laced with concern at how, fragile, he looked right now "Did…did something happen?"

"She died." Lelouch admitted, the girls gasping in alarm, Unazuki clapped her hand over her mouth in shock "She died in my arms…"

"Lelouch-san…" Usagi whispered, looking horrified and emotional as she glanced up at the foreign teen, only for him to turn to regard the pale Unazuki with sad eyes.

"Cherish the time you have with your boyfriend." The foreign teen instructed, before turning on his heel and walking out of the store "You never know when something may come to drag you apart."

* * *

_Death Buster's Evil lair of EEEEVIL..._

"Kaolinite." The Professor called out, the deranged scientist standing, as always, in the darkened chamber of horrors that was his lab, completing the finishing touches to his latest Daimon, watching the completed Seed Hover between his outstretched hands, the dull glow it gave off illuminating his glasses and Slasher smile eerily.

"You called, Professor" the redhead called out, her hands in the pocket of her lab-coat as she stepped forwards, eager to serve her master.

"You've been racking up an increasing number of failures recently." The Professor intoned, his eyes never leaving his precious Seed, and so missed the redhead flinch as his words dug into her like daggers "I hope you've already selected the newest target?"

"Of course," Kaolinite assured the man, eager to prove that she was useful to him "I've selected a young lady whose Pure Heart dreams of her first kiss."

"A kiss eh?" the Professor noted, his tone low, almost whimsical, though his ever-present Slasher smile belied such sentimentality "I haven't done such a thing in so long…" he noted, cackling demonically as he released the Daimon Seed, sending it on it's way, unaware and unconcerned with the looks he was receiving from Kaolinite, who seemed torn between gazing at the man longingly and wanting to step forward and end his sabbatical by claiming his lips as her own.

"One other thing…" the Professor called out, his cackles slowly fading away as he straightened his back once again "Have you made any progress with identifying that strange Golden Warrior?"

"Some." Kaolinite admitted, glad to have SOMETHING to show for her failures "He calls himself Kamen Rider Caucasus, he seems to be hunting the Talismans as well, or at the very least, seems determined to keep ANYONE, even the Senshi, from finding them."

"I see…" the Professor muttered, his tone intrigued, his Slasher smile receding slightly as he pondered this new variable in the equation "What else have you learned?"

"He does not seem to be allied with the Senshi, though he has no qualms with helping them out when a Daimon appears." Kaolinite continued "Also, he seems to have access to some incredible technology."

"Ah yes, that fascinating machine he used against Steering…" the Professor noted, his Slasher smile returning full force "Such fascinating technology, I would so like to study it…"

* * *

_With Lelouch..._

"Hey there…" C3 called out, the golden Caucasus Zecter buzzing around Lelouch's head as he lay with head buried in his arms on the handlebars of the Side-Bashaar "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine…" Lelouch assured the Zecter, sighing as he sat up, looking up at the blue sky overhead with a distant, longing expression "Just…thinking back…"

"You mean your old life?" C3 deduced, alighting on the handlebars and peering up at her partner in concern "That's not like you, normally you're so focused and in the now."

"What would YOU know?" Lelouch countered, a little sharper than normal, only to sigh, raising a hand to his face "Sorry, bad memories. I thought I'd be over them by now…"

"Everyone has scars they don't show anyone." C3 quoted, her tone soothing "They're what made you who you are. T wouldn't have chosen you for this job if they hadn't."

"Why doesn't that comfort me any?" Lelouch sighed, though he smiled wryly at the beetle as it buzzed up and around his head, only to stiffen as his cell phone's tone went off like crazy.

"A Daimon Seed!" C3 exclaimed, alighting on the teen's shoulders as he whipped out his cell phone, the head's up display revealing the target's energy signature "And it's not far from here!"

"Good…" Lelouch muttered, scowling as he slipped the phone into his pocket and pulled on his Zero helmet "Nothing like a battle to keep me focused on the present." He muttered, revving the engine and tearing off down the road, C3 buzzing ahead of him to lead the way.

* * *

Unazuki's apartment...

Motoki's younger sister had been cleaning her room, her thoughts in awhirl after the conversation she'd had with Usagi and her friends. She'd been hoping for some advice concerning her own love-life, but had not expected the literal bombshell that the handsome older foreigner had dropped in her lap. She couldn't even IMAGINE either her or her boyfriend dying, didn't WANT to imagine it, but the look of pain in those lavender eyes had struck her to her core, and made her reconsider her notions of putting off their first kiss until the 'right time', as who knew WHEN, if EVER, that time would come.

Sadly, she'd been so wrapped up in her thoughts she'd failed to notice the Daimon seed entering her room through the window, nor did she notice it as it burrowed into her vacuum-cleaner, though she DID notice when the appliance began to twist and mutate, sprouting a pair of feminine legs from the rear wheels, whipping round just as the device unleashed a sound like a mechanical elephant's trumpet, the Daimon striking a pose with a cry of "O-SO-JI!"

While the shape was feminine, the creature had pointed ears and it's skin was light blue, with the occasional patch of pink, like bad make-up. It wore what appeared to be a one-piece suit made out of the body of the main vacuum, with sections of the hose as oversized shoulder straps. The rear wheels of the appliance now served as armor for her hips, while from the shins downwards she wore plastic armor, the same armor that covered her arms.

On her head was perched a helmet that resembled the elephant motif of the vacuum, complete with the hose, which trailed behind her back over her right shoulder, while the electric cord stuck out from above her rump like a tail.

"Suction!" the Daimon declared, bringing her hands up to her chest, a section of her outfit dropping, revealing the trademark Black Star Tattoo over her cleavage, Unazuki's screams increasing as the beam pierced her, and began pulling out her Pure Heart Crystal. "The Talisman is mine!" Osoji proclaimed, grabbing the floating crystal before leaping out the window, heedless of the shattering glass as she made to make her escape.

"Hold it right there!" a voice called out, the Daimon whipping round in time to see two familiar figures perched atop a rooftop.

"Elegantly Guided by the New Era:" the blonde one called out, smirking confidently as she struck a pose "Sailor Uranus!"

"Gracefully Guided by the New Era:" the one with the aquamarine hair called out, smiling as she struck a pose of her own "Sailor Neptune!"

"You pesky dust-mites!" Osoji growled, the Daimon summoning her vacuum hand to attack "Osoji HURRICANE!" she snarled, launching a blast of air at the outer Senshi, forcing them to leap out of the way.

"Take this!" Uranus called out, the blonde raising her palm in the air, clenching a fist as she charged it with magical energy "URANUS WORLD SHAKING!"

Osoji swore, the Daimon moving to dodge the blast, only to curse as it nicked her wrist in passing, forcing her to drop the Crystal.

"I got it!" Uranus called out, the Senshi leaping forwards, intent on snagging the gem before the Daimon could recover, only to curse as Osoji unleashed another one of her Hurricane attacks, sending the short haired Senshi flying into the air "SHIT!"

"The crystal!" Neptune cried out, looking on in alarm as the gem was also caught up in the blast, sending it soaring over the rooftops, Osoji already racing after it "Hold it!"

"BATTLE MODE!" a voice declared, the unlikely trio blinking, only to yelp in alarm as a massive form suddenly leapt into the air, forcing them to back off as it crashed onto the roof in front of them.

"Oh not that thing again!" Uranus swore, gazing up at the mechanical behemoth with barely disguised fear and annoyance, knowing all too well WHO it belonged to.

"Yo." A familiar voice called out, the Senshi looking up to see a familiar gold and silver figure standing off to the side, having apparently leapt off the mech mid-jump "This a private party? Or can anyone join?"

"Caucasus-san!" Neptune called out, the Aquamarine Senshi surprising Uranus with how familiar she was acting with the Kamen Rider "The Heart Crystal-!"

"Right here." Caucasus assured her, holding up the missing gem for them to see "Good thing I showed up when I did, otherwise it would've landed in a dump truck."

"Another Dust Mite!" Osoji shrieked, looking furious as she rushed the Gold and Silver Rider head on "Give me back the Talisman!"

"You didn't say please." Caucasus shot back, snorting mockingly as he raised his left hand to his right wrist, where his Zecter rested "Cast Off!"

"CAST OFF!" the Zecter declared, the silver sections of his armor loosening, Uranus and Neptune barely managing to leap out of the way as the sections exploded off Caucasus' body, the fragments slamming into the stunned Osoji as the Caucasus stood ready in his Rider Form "CHANGE: BEETLE!"

"DAMN YOU!" Osoji hissed, pulling herself to her feet even as Uranus and Neptune landed a few feet away, having escaped the armor shrapnel by a hair "OSOJI HURRICANE!" she yelled, unleashing a blast of air at the Rider, only for him to vanish before her eyes "What the-?"

"CLOCK OVER!" a voice declared, the Daimon whipping round, only to scream as the mechanized claws of the Side- Bashaar gripped her around the arms, lifting her off her feet and squeezing her tight.

"I was in a pretty bad mood before." Caucasus admitted, the Golden Rider glaring coldly down at the struggling Daimon from behind the controls of his behemoth, the Pure Heart Crystal held in his right hand "I think it's only fair to warn you, that is NOT a good thing."

Osoji couldn't even scream, her body was being crushed too tightly for her to even BREATHE, all the Daimon could do was struggle futilely against the growing pressure, only to yelp as it suddenly released, though this was hardly any comfort, as she had been flung into the air. "PULL!" Caucasus called out, the Side-Bashaar's main cannons coming to bear on the tumbling Daimon, thundering to life as the Rider pulled the trigger, unleashing a hail of gunfire that blasted the Villainous Vacuum out of the once-more-friendly skies.

* * *

_As the smoke settles..._

"Damn!" Uranus hissed, covering her ears to protect them from the sound of the explosions, even as she glared at the meddling Rider "Him again! Why the hell does he keep showing up and getting in our way?"

"He's not in our way." Neptune countered, earning a look of confusion from the shorthaired Senshi as she eyed the Golden Rider warily "He's might not approve of our methods, but he's not our enemy."

"It doesn't matter WHOSE side he's on!" Uranus countered, frowning at her partner, wondering why she was sticking up for the Rider "We need to get that crystal from him! Our mission depends on it!"

"I know…" Neptune insisted, putting a hand on her partner's shoulder "But let ME do the talking, I'd rather avoid having to carry you back home again."

"He got lucky last time." Uranus muttered, scowling at the memory of her defeat at the hands of the Rider the other day, only to grimace as his Mech turned it's attention towards them, the shorthaired senshi eyeing it's smoking cannon barrels warily.

"I see you two are together again?" Caucasus called out, his tone cordial and amused, as if he HADN'T just turned a Daimon into so many dust particles fluttering over Juuban.

"Yes," Neptune called out, stepping forwards, waving a hand to assure Uranus that she would be alright as she glanced up at the Rider "Thank you again for the other night."

"We really have to stop meeting like this." Caucasus joked, his tone amused, even as Uranus looked between the two in confusion "If we're not fighting Daimon we're chasing Heart Crystals, one of these days we'll have to get together at a less formal setting."

Uranus scowled, not liking where the conversation was going, moving to step forwards, only for Neptune to hold her hand up to stop her. "Caucasus-san." The Aquamarine Senshi called out, "If you don't mind, could you let me examine that Crystal?" she smiled reassuringly up at the Rider "It's not that I don't trust your judgment, but I think Uranus would feel better if one of us at least had a chance to check for ourselves."

"Neptune?" Uranus wondered, blinking at her partner in confusion, only for her eyes to widen as Caucasus' mech knelt down, allowing the Rider to step off, walking towards them with the crystal in hand, holding it out for Neptune to examine.

"Thank you." Neptune offered, smiling at the Rider as she stepped forwards, peering at the crystal, not touching it, only to sigh and shake her head "It isn't a Talisman." She announced for Uranus' benefit, smiling gratefully at the Rider "Thank you, Caucasus-san."

Uranus scowled, not liking how familiar her partner was being with the Rider, only to stiffen as he turned to her, her eyes widening as took her hand in his, placing the Crystal in it. "See that it's returned to it's proper owner." The Rider instructed, turning on his heel and mounting his machine once more, the Mechanical Walker leaping off the roof, leaving Uranus gaping after him in shock, which earned a small smile from Neptune.

* * *

_Meanwhile..._

"Unazuki-chan! No-!" Usagi wailed, the pigtailed blonde girl struggling to pry the entranced girl off of Makoto, who was tossing her head from side to side in order to avoid having her lips claimed by the clearly affected young woman "What about your boyfriend!"

"What about ME!" Makoto exclaimed, the brunette not wanting her first kiss to be with a girl, even as the rest of the senshi looked on in mortified wonder, poor Ami's face red as a tomato, while Minako and Rei sweatdropped in disbelief.

* * *

And we'll leave off there.

C.C: Kyugan-sensei? Really?

Kyugan: If it helps, just play the theme from 'teach me, miss Litchi!'.

Lelouch: (Reading up on Sailor Moon) Euphemia would have loved this.

Kyugan: Can you imagine her in the senshi outfits?

Lelouch: (Freezes, blood trickles from one nostril)

Kyugan: How about the other girls?

Lelouch: (Begins to shake, eyes twitching)

C.C: Nunnally as Chibi-Moon.

Lelouch: (Keels over backwards under the force of his nosebleed.)

Kyugan: Low blow.

C.C: I know.


	12. Chapter 12

Another Chapter in the Expose arc.

Next up, we have the oh-so action packed Man among men series: Kamen Rider!

For those of you familliar with the series, feel free to continue, for those of you new to the saga of cyborgs, evil organizations, alien monsters and men in bug costumes, strap yourselves in!

HENSHIN-! Kyugan-sensei~!

For those who don't know, the Kamen Rider Series is one of the penultimate, if not THE ultimate, Tokusatsu series, and pretty much the 'big broher' to Super Sentai. The only difference is that, whereas Super Sentai featured a large cast of characters and giant combining robots, Kamen Rider typically had a small cast (with some exceptions) but made up for it with better plotlines, more character development and generally being overall BETTER, aimed at a slightly older crowd (still a kid's show, but then considering kid's shows in japan, it'd probably be rated PG over here.)

Produced by Hiroyama Toru in 1971, with the aid of Cyborg 009 creator Ishinomori Shotaro, it featured insect-themed, motorcycle riding superheros (initially cyborgs) who fight off evl organizations and their supervillian minions (referred to as kaijin), though later on (Heisei Era) the villians all received designations unique to their specific series (Heisei Era).

The Showa Era (1970's-late 1980's) Riders all shared the Cyborg' theme (with the Exception of Amazon and Shin) and the 'Evil Organization' nemesis. So much so, you could arguably say that they all occured in the same universe, just different areas and times. This was later taken advantage of in the Epic Manga Series, Kamen Rider Spirits, where almost all the Showa Riders made an appearance, battling against their revived organizations, all of which are sub-branches of the same evil organization JUDE.

Unfortunately, most of these never made it to the west, with the exception of Kamen Rider Black RX, which Saban attempted to 'americanize' in order to take advantage of the Power Ragers craze of the time under the title 'Saban's Masked Rider'.

For those of you wh, like me, had the misfortune to watch this show as a kid and automatically think 'it wasn't THAT bad'...do yourself a favour, watch the ORIGINAL Black RX series (it's out there somewhere), I assure you, you'll be wondering 'where the hell did they go wrong' for YEARS.

BlackRX: Where the hell did the mutant platypus thing come from?

The Heisei Era (Late 90's and onwards) is the era most of us are more familliar with, and was a refreshing comeback after the long absence of the series. It was also here that monsters stopped being referred to as simple 'kaijin' (to my knowledge) and received designated names (Grongi, Unkown, Fangires etc) and each series typically had a 'theme' that was followed.

It was also the only era I know of to possess a 'slapstick' series (Kamen Rider Den-O), which rather than deviating from the image, actually tied in rather well, due to the skills of the actors and the overall plot. It also saw the era of a new breed of Riders, the reluctant Riders, those who are either too timid (Ryotaro/Wateru) or too reluctant (Inui/Shinji) to don their respecitve mantles until some crisis arises.

In short, out of all things to come out of Japan, I'm glad I managed to catch wind of this Series. It is, quite bluntly, EPIC, and it really pissed me off that the attempt to 'americanise' it bombed like it did with 'Masked Rider'.

Fortunately, the 'American' version of 'Heisei Era's Ryuki (Kamen Rider Dragon Knight) Wasn't too bad. True, it didn't follow the plot of the original, but the rerite was a solid plot and made good use of the stock footage, the casting was well done and the additions (Henshin effects and bike henshins) were all done really well.

It gives me hope that any future rewrites will be as successful. It seems one of the reasons Ryuki ws picked was because it had a wide range of characters (13 riders! Whoo!) So perhaps Series with multiple Riders is the way to go.

Which brings me to the Basis for this fic's Rider elements: Kamen Rider Kabuto.

**CAST OFF!**

The story revolves around a man named Tendou Souji, who (due to a time paradox explained in the movie) has been training in secret for seven years while waiting for the Kabuto Zecter so that he may properly take up the name of Kamen Rider Kabuto. Tendou (as he's generally referred to, is an arrogant ass, but unlike most, he has a reason to be so, as he is, quite simply, the epitome of BADASS.

I'm not joking, this guy can do ANYTHING. His cooking can make rown men weep, he can pull of any sport, any activity, there is literally NOTHING he cannot do, and as a result, he has an attitude to match. As a result, he makes enemies a lot easier than friends, though thankfully he DOEs manage to make a few along the way, as the world has become infested with a race of alien lifeforms called Worms, who are able to mimic the appearance, memories and personality of the people they kill so perfectly, not even relatives can figure it out.

Ironically enough, it was Kabuto himself ( a future Souji Tendou) that caused the Worms to appear on Earth. But before you go WTF, you should know that, if he hadn't done what he had, things could've been a LOT worse (as in total planetary genocide worse). for more details, read the movie bio.

C3, or the Caucasus Zecter, is my take on the movie-only Change Brace 'Caucasus' Kabutick Zecter, which includes a Cast Off system not included in the original, in order to give it that 'kabuto feel'. The movie version didn't have 'cast off', it simply went straight to Rider mode, which always annoyed me for some reason.

That said, on with the show!

**CLOCK UP!**

* * *

Moon's Love, A Rider's Aid.

Deep within the dark confines of his laboratory, the being known only as the professor continued his dark research, slowly and carefully injecting the contents of a syringe into a waiting Daimon Egg, though his usual Slasher smile was replaced with a scowl, which was hidden by the gloom and the light reflecting off his glasses.

The recent string of failures that his minions were wracking up was unwelcome and unexpected. By all rights, NOBODY should have been able to stand up to his creations, the Daimon were one of his many sources of pride, each one a work of art, each one the result of hours of intense experimentation and cultivation.

Not that it mattered, really, as despite their success in securing Pure Heart Crystals, not a single one had been a talisman, so in the end there was no real loss. The problem was that it wasn't easy cultivating Daimon Eggs, which made for long periods of waiting between the next assignment, usually lasting a few days.

"Professor." A familiar voice called out, Kaolinite stepping out of the darkness, dressed, as usual when in his presence, in her white lab coat over her red outfit.

"Oh, it's you, Kaolinite." The demented researcher noted, his Slasher smile returning as he turned to face her slightly.

"I've come to understand that a Pure Heart is one that possesses an intense love for something." Kaolinite revealed, smiling in what she assumed was a suggestive manner "Naturally, one would assume that a pair of Lovers would have a Talisman or two between them." When her ploy failed to elicit a response she sighed before turning serious once again "Professor, when will the next Daimon Egg be ready?"

"Kaolinite." The Professor intoned, his Slasher smile in place, though his tone caused the redheaded woman to shiver "How many Daimon must we throw away?" he asked, shaking a test-tube which contained the latest Daimon Egg gently "The recent string of failures in our quest to locate the talismans is becoming costly." He reminded her, causing the redhead to flinch "Have you learned anything that may be of use to us against the Sailor Senshi, and that Kamen Rider that's been helping them?"

"Nothing useful I'm afraid." Kaolinite admitted with a sigh "While there's no abundance of sites pertaining to the Senshi, most of the information there is either useless or hypothetical in nature." She shook her head "And as for the Kamen Rider, the opposite applies, it's like he simply popped out of thin air, armor and all, which leads me to believe he's either very good at covering his tracks, or he's working with someone who's good at keeping information under control."

"I see." the Professor mused, his tone contemplative as he poured the mixture into a beaker, watching the Daimon Egg develop into a Daimon Seed, which hovered before him "That DOES sound ominous. At this rate we may NEVER see any positive results, no matter HOW many Daimon Seeds we create."

"Please, Professor, do not concern yourself with such matters." Kaolinite insisted, smiling at the man she both loved and respected "I shall personally oversee this operation."

"Will you now?" the Professor wondered, sounding amused by the idea, balancing the Daimon seed on the tip of his finger, before turning to face the woman, Slasher smile in place as he flicked it towards her "Very well." He uttered, watching as it hovered into her hands "I will leave it in your…capable hands."

"Please leave it to me." Kaolinite assured him, smiling devotedly at the man, vanishing in burst of red light, leaving her lab coat to flutter forlornly to the floor.

* * *

_With Lelouch..._

"Lover's Park: Affection Contest?" C3 repeated, hovering over Lelouch's shoulder as the teen sat astride the Side Bashaar, munching on a hotdog "You're not serious?"

"I picked up the signal from the Egg some time last night." Lelouch admitted, chewing at his hotdog as he spoke "I'm pretty sure it's somewhere on the competition grounds, though WHERE exactly is beyond me, the damn things signal disappears once it buries itself in it's host."

"T's technology has it's limits I suppose." C3 sighed, heedless of the fact that SHE, technically, was an example of said technology "But why would they target a competition dedicated to lovers? One to many valentines days without cards?"

"Maybe." Lelouch conceded with a snort "But if you think about I, this is the perfect place for the Death Busters to strike next."

"I don't follow." C3 countered, the Golden Caucasus Zecter looking up at her partner in confusion as he swallowed the last bite of his hotdog "How does a glorified excuse to play cupid factor into their plans?"

"As corny as it sounds, love seems to be the key element in all of their attacks thus far.' Lelouch explained, washing the hotdog down with a bottle canteen of water "More accurately, a love of something precious."

"Like the Mechanic's love of cars or that girls love of cats." C3 deduced, nodding her horned head in understanding "I suppose it stands to reason that love between two people would be the best source." She turned towards the teen inquisitively "So why are you out here instead of inside? Couldn't find a date?"

"Hardly." Lelouch scoffed, snorting in bemusement "I'd rather not get dragged into any ridiculous misunderstandings that might arise from getting directly involved." He elaborated, tossing the empty wrapper from his hotdog into the trash, leaning back on Side-Bashaar as he spoke "Besides, if something DOES happen, I can transform here without having to worry about being spotted."

"Yo." A voice called out, startling Lelouch, the former Emperor almost falling off his bike, straightening up in time to see Haruka and Michiru walking towards him, the blonde, as always, dressed in men's clothing.

'How in the hell do they manage to do that?' Lelouch wondered, eyeing the pair warily, even as Michiru giggled at his flustered appearance 'Seriously, I thought only Sayoko could sneak up on me like that!'

"Long time no see, Lulu." Haruka greeted, smiling at the foreign teen "Didn't expect to run into YOU here, you competing as well?"

"Hardly.' Lelouch countered, holding up the empty bag his snack had come in "I just pulled over to eat without worrying about police chasing me."

"I can relate." Haruka snorted, earning a disapproving frown from Michiru even as she lent in to examine the teen's bike "Nice ride, looks like a…though I don't recall them coming with a side-car."

"It's a custom job." Lelouch replied, quirking a brow at the blonde's knowledge of motorcycles, he himself hadn't been able to identify it even WITH T's notes.

"Would love to see how it handles in a race," Haruka noted, sighing whimsically "but until I get my bike license back, I'm limited to cars."

"A shame." Lelouch snorted, glancing at Michiru, who giggled and covered her mouth in good humor, "Should I assume YOU are competing then? Or is that a stupid Question?"

"Right on both counts." Haruka admitted, smirking confidently as she took Michiru's arm in her own, the pair smiling at one another "It might not be technically fair, but hey, it said 'Couples', it never said both members of said couple had to be different genders."

"Ah the wonders of loopholes." Lelouch sighed, earning a snort of amusement from the pair, even as he sat back on his bike "In any case good luck, I thought I saw Usagi and her friends disappear up that way as well when I pulled up."

"Odango Atama's here too?" Haruka asked, perking up, only to flinch as Michiru pinched her arm pointedly "Okay, okay, I just wanted to say hello!"

"Sure you were." Michiru muttered, her tone disbelieving, sighing in exasperation, even as she smiled at Lelouch in passing "See you later, Lelouch-san."

"Yeah, later Lulu." Haruka waved, smirking at the slight twitch of the teen's eye, mistaking it for annoyance and reveling at landing the parting jab, unaware of just how effective that blow had been.

"You okay?" C3 asked, the golden Zecter peeking out from behind the teen's collar, having hidden herself when the duo made their appearance.

"I'm fine…" Lelouch assured her, though his smile seemed oddly fixed as he sighed, his shoulders drooping "Just a little tired…been up since last night."

"Get some sleep in the sidecar." C3 instructed, buzzing up into the air "I'll keep an eye on the situation and wake you if something happens."

"Wait…!" Lelouch began, only to sigh as the Zecter flew off "There she goes again…" he muttered, shaking his head in wry bemusement "Still…a little shut-eye should do me good…" he admitted, peering at the sidecar warily "just hope this thing's more comfortable than Rivalz's…"

* * *

_Competition..._

"Yosh! All you happy lovers out there!" the announcer called out, stirring the audience up into a frenzy "Are you ready to feel the love?" he asked, earning another eager cry as he gestured to the contestants "These Happy couples have come here today to display just how deeply their feelings for each other truly are." He gestured to the massive, heart-shaped statue behind him "But in the end, only one couple, with their loving pure hearts, will emerge triumphant over all else, to light the torch of Lover's Park!"

"Ugh…" C3 muttered, the Golden Beetle hovering high in the air to avoid being seen, gazing down at the cheering crowd in disgust "Honestly, I will NEVER be able to understand humans…hm?"

She turned, sharp eyes spotting a tall woman standing away from the audience, more accurately, standing behind a cluster of trees, peeking out at the festivities with a smile on her face.

'Well if it isn't the woman in the red dress…' the Zecter mused, her tone intrigued, recalling the redheaded harlot from the first time a Daimon had shown up 'Looks like Lelouch's guess was right, the Death Busters ARE targeting the competition.' she turned to eye the contestants warily 'But which ones?'

* * *

_Finals_...

"Okay everyone! This is it!" The Announcer cried, earning another round of cheers from the crowd "The confession contest! Even those of you that are trailing behind can bump up your rankings in this round! Each contestant will confess their love to their respective partners, and those of you in the audience can award them points!"

"We Quit." Haruka called out, startling the announcer, the shorthaired blonde smiling in bemusement "We weren't really serious with this, and yet it looks like we're going to win…" she glanced at Umino out the corner of her eye, impressed despite herself by the little nerd's devotion "May as well give those who REALLY want to win a chance." She smiled as she turned to the audience "Not that anyone can really lose here, for Love is Everywhere!"

The audience cheered in understanding, giving the pair a standing ovation as they stepped of the stage, Michiru giving Naru and Umino an encouraging smile in passing, even the other contestants looking moved by the blonde's speech.

"All…alright then…" the announcer sweatdropped, torn between feeling glad that the stubborn, intimidating blonde was gone, and moved by his speech, mistakenly under the general assumption that Haruka was a man "In that case, let's move on to the next contestants!"

"Haruka-san was so cool!" Minako exclaimed, not caring that the pretty blonde was actually a girl, it didn't change the fact that she was HOT, even dressed as a guy.

"It was certainly nice of them to give the other contestants a chance." Ami agreed, looking up at the stage in wonder as the rest of the contestants tried their hands "But what do you think she meant by not being serious?"

"Well isn't it obvious?" Rei pointed out, wincing as the second from last contestants finished their confession, which resulted in the woman clobbering the man over the head with a hammer "They're both GIRLS! It hardly counts."

"Love has many forms." Minako countered, the senshi of love nodding her head sagely, only to look up as Umino and Naru's turn arrived at last, sweatdropping as the poor boy tripped over the microphone cable and crashed face-first into the stage "Oh boy…"

"Is he going to be okay?" Ami wondered, looking on in concerned pity as the poor boy pushed himself to his knees, only to smile up at the concerned Naru.

"Naru-chan." The bespectacled teen proclaimed "You're always bright, like the sun." he looked down at the ground, though he kept smiling "I'm such a klutz, always seem to screw up, and probably don't deserve someone like you." He twiddled his thumbs nervously "I don't know what you see in a loser like me, maybe it's just one of God's little flights of fancy…" he smiled up at the girl "But when I see you smile Naru-chan, it makes me feel like an Angel's watching over me…" he got to his feet with a determined expression "For that smile…I'd gladly give my life!"

"He says some good things…" C3 noted, smiling approvingly, honestly moved by the boy's heartfelt speech despite being just a machine, which made the resulting cheers of the crowd, who actually possessed the means to shed tears of emotion, to almost deafen the poor boy.

"By unanimous vote, this couple is the WINNER!" the Announcer proclaimed, wiping tears from his eyes, even as he gestured to the curtain behind him, unveiling a huge statue of a heart that symbolized the couple who had won "now both of you, light the flame of love!"

"That must be it!" C3 realized, buzzing animatedly as she spotted the redhead from earlier stand up straighter at the announcement "The Daimon Seed is in the Statue!"

* * *

_Daimon Henshin-!_

Spinning around in mid-air, the golden Zecter raced off to fetch Lelouch, even as Umino pressed his palm against the statue, causing it to light up, but not in the way it was intended, its form shifting into a tall, shapely woman with bright red hair that curled like a heart to cover half her face. She was dressed in a black, sleeveless bodysuit with high heels and black arm gloves. A giant orange heart adorned her chest, two smaller ones adorning her boots, and a large purple heart with an arrow through it rested on her head

"DIE HEART!" the Daimon cried out, her voice melodious and enticing, peering down at the terrified forms of Umino and Naru as the boy shielded his love from her "That Pure Heart that thinks only of his true love," she proclaimed, her hair rising to reveal the Black Star Tattoo on her cheek "I shall claim the Talisman concealed within!"

"Move, Naru-chan!" Umino called out, shoving his beloved out of the path, only to scream as the beam struck him right in the chest, the Daimon flying down and straddling the teen for good measure.

"Found it!" Die-Heart proclaimed, giggling effeminately as she reached into Umino's chest, withdrawing the poor boy's Pure Heart Crystal.

"Hold it!" a familiar voice called out, the Daimon turning to see the Sailor Senshi assembled behind her "To ruin the light of love that was finally allowed to shine," Sailor Moon called out angrily "Even if the goddess of love forgave you, the Sailor Senshi will not! In the name of the Moon we will Punish You!"

"How amusing…" a sultry voice called out, the Senshi looking up to see a redheaded woman a revealing red dress hovering in the air "but little girls should act like little girls, right, Die Heart?"

"Hai, Heart!" the Daimon agreed, sticking her hand into the heart on her chest, the Senshi tensing as it began to glow, only to blink as nothing seemed to happen to them "LET'S START DANCING!"

"Eh?" the Senshi blinked, only to blush as five strikingly handsome men appeared before them, stepping forward to take their respective Senshi by the hand with a cry of "Let's Dance!"

"W-well…" Sailor Moon giggled, Mamoru completely forgotten for the moment in the face of such a charming fellow "Only for a minute…" she stammered, even as she broke into a swing dance with her partner, the other Sailor Senshi following suit, even the normally reserved Sailor Mercury.

"Huh," Idiotic little girls." the red-clad redhead scoffed, smirking in disdain as she watched the Senshi dance away, unaware that their partners were actually five monsters, minions of Die Heart, each designed to appeal to their respective Senshi's interpretation of the ideal man "Hard to believe they've given us such a hard time." she moved to snap her fingers "No longer, time to die-!"

"CAST OFF!" a voice called out, Kaolinite looking on in alarm as the Senshi and their partners were knocked off their feat by several projectile pieces of armor, the redhead turning towards the source of the noise, only to scowl at the sight of the OTHER thorn in her master's side.

* * *

_As the illusion wears off..._

"Well isn't this interesting?" Caucasus called out, his tone intrigued "I didn't know this was a dancing competition, and me without my ballroom shoes."

"Caucasus-san?" Moon stammered, blinking at the Rider in confusion that was swiftly giving way to anger "What were you thinking? You could have hurt someone!"

"Kind of the idea." Caucasus replied, pointing behind the blonde, the leader of the Senshi turning, only to yelp at the sight of the crushed monster that lay in the place of her dancing partner "I don't know what you were doing dancing with that thing, but I hope Tuxedo Kamen isn't the jealous type."

"Well if it isn't the mysterious Kamen Rider…" a voice called out, Caucasus turning to see Kaolinite hovering above him, her arms crossed beneath her breasts "You've caused a lot of trouble for us."

"Kaolinite of the Death Busters I presume." Caucasus returned, causing the redhead to start briefly, shocked that he knew her name "Don't looked so surprised, your Daimon might be strong, they're not particularly good at keeping secrets."

"So it would seem." Kaolinite muttered, only to smile confidently at the Rider "A mistake we shall rectify in all future models."

"You won't be given the chance to!" a voice declared, the redhead turning to see Sailor Uranus and Neptune standing off to the side in a battle stance "We're putting a stop to you right here!"

"Is that so?" Kaolinite asked, smiling confidently as she snapped her fingers, forcing the elder Senshi to leap out of the path of a bolt of lightning "You're Ten years to young to challenge me-!"

A sudden, searing pain in her side caused her to drop out of the air, landing on the ground with a cry of agony, looking down to see a small hole burnt into her dress. 'What?' she stammered, her eyes wide with alarm, only to look up to see Caucasus standing over her, a strange looking firearm held in his hand.

"Looks like I'm just the right age then." The Golden Rider noted, his tone mocking as he leveled his weapon at her head "Either that, or old age has finally caught up with you."

"DAMN YOU!" Kaolinite snarled, snapping her fingers, forcing the Rider to leap back to avoid being struck by lightning, allowing her to take to the air, though not as agilely as before.

"No you don't!" Caucasus yelled, aiming his weapon at her again, only to curse as Die Heart tackled him from the side, throwing off his aim.

"DIE-HEART!" Kaolinite snarled, rising higher into the air as she glared hatefully down at the Rider "Give that bastard a partner for his last dance!"

"Dammit get off me!" Caucasus swore, struggling to throw the Daimon off as he watched Kaolinite vanish in a flash of red, only to curse and shield his eyes as Die Heart reached one hand into her golden heart, the resulting light blinding him for a few seconds "That's not going to-!"

He stopped, words failing him as he gazed at the figure standing before him, her wide, angelic smile filled with adoration as she held her arms out to him. "Let's dance!" she called out, her angelic smile setting his heart at ease as she took his hands in both her own "What are you waiting for? Don't you want to dance with me?"

"Yes…" Lelouch breathed, his armor gone, the teen dressed in a tuxedo as he allowed his partner to place his hand on her hip, letting her take the lead as they danced around the ballroom that had sprung up around them.

"Isn't this nice?" his partner asked, smiling up at him as they danced, heedless anything else, the two rest of the world shrinking to encompass only them and the dance floor "I'm glad we could dance together." She looked up when Lelouch didn't answer, noting the tears trickling from his eyes, which were hidden by his bangs. "Is something wrong?" she asked, looking up at him in concern, "Do you not want to dance with me after all?"

"No…" Lelouch countered, his voice hoarse "I want to dance with you…I've always wised I could dance with you…just you and me…together…forever…"

"Then we'll always be together…" his partner offered, smiling up at the former emperor, as she hugged herself to him, her head against his chest "We can dance forever and ever." She promised, only to blink as the teen brought his arms up to return her embrace.

"Thank you…" Lelouch offered, tears staining his cheeks as he buried his face in his partner's neck "I will never forget this dance…Nunnally."

* * *

_Real Life..._

"Caucasus-san!" Sailor Moon called out, looking on in concern as the Rider danced away with Die Heart, the Daimon positioning them so that no matter what they did, the Rider's back was between her and the Senshi "Snap out of it!"

"Dammit, he's under the same spell she got us with!" Mars swore, disgusted at the fact she'd been tricked into dancing with a monster, and not even an ATTRACTIVE one at that!

"Uranus!" Neptune called out, drawing the younger Senshi's attention to the older blonde, who had her fist raised over her head "You mustn't!"

"Dammit Neptune it's the only way!" Uranus countered, though she didn't look as certain of herself as she normally would "Besides he's survived it before! URANUS WORLD-!"

"RIDER BEAT!" the Caucasus Zecter declared, the senshi looking on in surprise as Die Heart screamed as Caucasus rammed his fist through her chest, the Daimon exploding in a burst of Tachyon energy that obscured the Rider with the smoke.

"Huh…bastard snapped out of it in time." Uranus muttered, surprising even herself with how relieved she sounded, Neptune releasing a sigh of relief as the dust cleared, revealing Caucasus standing with Umino's heart crystal hovering in his palm.

"Caucasus-san!" Sailor Moon called out, running up to the Rider with the rest of the Senshi, their faces lined with relief "Are you all…right?"

She trailed off, the Senshi pulling up short behind the Rider, who was staring down at the shattered debris that was all that was left of the Heart Statue, a ruined Daimon seed lying amidst the rubble.

"Caucasus-san…" Neptune called out, the elder Senshi walking up to the Rider, causing the younger ones to tense in concern "Are you alright?" she asked, startling the Inners, who'd thought she'd ask to examine the Crystal.

"I'm fine." Caucasus replied, though his tone was flat as he handed the crystal to the aquamarine haired woman "It's not a talisman." He muttered, turning to walk off, the Senshi parting nervously to let him past.

"Ano, Caucasus-san?" Moon called out hesitantly, halting the Rider in his tracks "I don't know what you saw, but you know it was an illusion right? It wasn't real."

"She was real." Caucasus countered, the Senshi blinking at the emotion in his voice, as if his heart was about to break "It might have been an illusion…but we were never able to dance together like that…" he continued on his way "And we never will…"

The senshi watched his retreating back, unable, UNWILLING to try and stop him. Somehow, instinctively, they all knew that beneath his armor, the golden Rider was crying.

* * *

A more emotional ending to be fair.

C.C: Sound strategy, if you can't target the body, target the mind.

I know, stull feel dirty for using it though.

C.C: ah well, more to come!


	13. Chapter 13

Hat Trick! God I love Expose.

Continuing where we left off, we'll be covering the LAST element of this crossover attempt, one of the most recently completed series out there, and our good buddy Lelouch's universe: Code Geass.

Again, for those of you already in the know regarding alternate timelines, mech battles with references to the arturian legends and Shakespeare, enigmatic green haired cock tases with a love for pizza and magnificent bastardery in general, feel free to continue to the fic, for those who're a little out of the loop, I order you to strap yourselves in!

Kyugan-Sensei no meirei!

For those of you new to the series, Code Geass is set in an alternate universe, where the world is split by three superpowers, the Holy Britannian Empire (an alternate take on the United States of America, which came into existence after Napolean won at trafalgar or what not) the Chinese Federation (Pretty much most of Asia) and the Euro Universe (The EU basically) with the exception of an independent Australia.

Rivalz: Croikey!

The story take place after the Holy Britannian Empire's conquest on Japan in August 10, 2010 a.t.b., (Yes, that's right, America invaded Japan...whoo...) with Britannia's newest weapon, the "Armored Autonomous Knight", or Knightmare Frames as they're otherwise known.

Cecile: No, they're not run on Nightmare juice.

Lloyd: Though the possibilities!

In effect, Britannia, like it has so many other nations it conquers (including the middle east mid-way through season one) effectively strips Japan and its citizens of all rights and freedoms, and renames the country Area 11, and it's local populace 'Elevens'.

Tamaki: Fuckers...

The series' protagonist is Lelouch Lamperouge, born Lelouch vi Britannia, one of the sons of Emperor Charles vi Britannia (voiced by the same guy that voices Vega/Bison in the japanese Street Fighter games and the Guy who did Berserker in the English adaptation of F/SN).

After daring to stand up to his father for doing nothing to prevent the death of his mother, (apparently a VERY stupid thing to do) Lelouch was Exiled to Japan as a hostage, along with his sister Nunnally, who was crippled in the attack which killed their mother and supposedly rendered blind as a result of the trauma. They're taken in by Genbu Kururugi (ho depending on canocity is either a stubborn 'die with honor' bastard or a 'sell out my own country bastard', who took them in as guests, gave them shelter.

Nunnally: It was so peaceful.

Despite a Rocky start, Lelouch eventually makes friends with Genbu's son Suzaku (oh i hate this guy) and for a while things were good (considering they were political hostages) until Britannia declared war on Japan (Remind me again...who sent them there?). Angered by this betrayal and the destruction of his adopted homeland, Lelouch vows to destroy Britannia and Suzaku, pressed by a desire to stop the fighting even if it meant Japan was forced to surrender, murdered by his own son, Suzaku.

Suzaku: Hey!

To be fair, in the manga, (Which actually came AFTER the anime) Genbu was the latter type, planning to sell out his own country in order to be named a britannian noble, so Suzaku had a decent reason for comitting patricide. However, in the anime, Genbu was simply one of those stubborn, 'If the country must fall, then we ALL fall' types, and was prepared to go down fighting even if it meant people had to die.

C.C: Kind of like the JLF really.

Suzaku, being the seriously messed up in the head character he is, stabbed his old man in the gut and took his pocketwatch as a momento (even in the manga version...which is weird, I'd have done everything to FORGET such a backstabber) The event left him even MORE messed up in the head, to the point he actually joined the Britannian army in a bid to 'change it from within.

Kallen: They've been conquering nations for centuries, have even gone so far as to strip them of their identity, use their own CHILDREN as false bartering tools only to INVADE the country they left them in, and he thought he could CHANGE that by JOINING them?

Lelouch: He's an idiot, always has been.

Seven years later, having escaped death along with Nunnally by hiding out at Ashford Academy, under their mother's maiden name, Lelouch reunites with Suzaku in the Saitima ghetto, having accidentally gotten caught up with a resistance plot to overthrow the government. He meets an immortal woman called C.C, who enters into a contract with him to save his life, bestowing upn him the titular power of Geass, also known as the Power of the King, which allows him to give a single irresistible command to anybody he can make visual contact with.

Lelouch: One time use only though, which sucked balls.

C.C: Everyone's power is unique.

Now I feel the need to point out that Lelouch, unlike most shounen hero protagonists, isn't a paragon of manliness and physical ability. He literally can't run one lap around his school (Milly Ashford outran him in a full frock and gown, comically crying Release the hounds as she did so). On top of that, he, and most of the cast, were designed in part by the lovely women of CLAMP fame, (Card Captor Sakura, Tokyo Babylon etc), which should give you a rough example of how frail this guy is.

He is, however, intellectually gifted, on a level that would put Light Yagami (Aka Kira) to shame, from what little I've seen of the the latter. Using his new Geass power, on top of his natural intelligence, Lelouch takes up the mantle of the 'Revolutionary' Zero, and forms a resistance movement known as The Black Knights, to wage war on Britannia.

Lelouch: Until Schniezel fucked everything up in R2.

Long story short, this is a series that's so full of espionage, betrayal and intrigue that it's almost worthy of a shakespearian play. There's Lelouch's half siblings (Cornelia, Clovis, Euphemia and Schniezel predominantly) who show up at varying intervals to make life difficult (and awkward, you know the stories about royalty after all), the Geass order (which only gets touched on in R2) and then there's all the battles which are just as much strategy as they are mech action.

Rakshata: And WHAT action!

Seriously, some of the best mech scenes outside of the Gundam series. And best of all, the Dubbing ACTUALLY WORKS!

Many a good Anime have been ruined by the horrible, HORRIBLE english voice acting cast (4kids) or complete removal of certain elements (4kids) or the replacement of the original soundtrack with unfitting music (F-king 4kids!). Code Geass is fortunate to not have been included amongst their number, the voice cast is solid, the music is the same, and the action sequences...

C.C: Let's just say even the manga, which doesn't HAVE Knightmares, is epic BECAUSE it sticks to the plot for the most part.

I won't spoil the ending for those who haven't seen the series, but it's one of those series where important characters die, but die in away that affects the plot in a GOOD way, rather than off-screen out of mind like some do. As you can probably tell, Lelouch was amongst those that died in the finale, but he died smiling, and as the old saying goes, if you don't smile when you die, you can't be reincarnated, which should explain things a little bit.

Seriously, Lelouch is such a magnificent bastard it's just too fun to write his character. He practically carries the series in my opinion, except when he's acting all weepy and emo, but thank God there's usually someone around to smack the awesome back into him.

And that should bring thinfs up do date for now. For those of you with more questions, feel free to ask, otherwise look up the Sailor Moon, Kamen Rider and Code Geass Wiki's (yes, they exist) and go nuts.

Until then, this is Kyugan, teling you to READ ON!

* * *

Hit and Run.

"Well now…" the Professor marveled, his Slasher smile in placed as he examined Kaolinite's body, more accurately, the wound she'd received from Caucasus' weapon during the incident with the Lover's Competition "How interesting…"

"What is it doctor?" Kaolinite asked, the redhead sitting before the mad scientist with her top off, her breasts shielded with her arm, though she felt no shame at exposing herself to the man, if anything she was thrilled he was seeing her like this, were it not for the fact he was paying her wound more attention than the rest of her.

"Quite fascinating…" the Professor murmured, Slasher smile in place as he prodded the slowly regenerating wound "At first glance this would appear to be a laser burn, but the skin samples I took contain traces of Photon Energy. I didn't think such a thing was possible!"

"Oh it's possible…" Kaolinite muttered, grimacing as her master continued to poke and prod at the wound, gritting her teeth, not at his probing, but at the sheer rage she felt for the one that caused her such pain 'That bastard…how dare he mar by beautiful skin! When I get through with him he'll BEG me to kill him!'

"Quite fascinating…" the professor murmured, "I had a colleague who was researching Photon Energy once. A Professor Yumi I believe." He nodded in recollection "Brilliant man, lovely daughter, believed that Photon Energy would provide a clean, renewable energy source. But his project's funding got cancelled before it even got off the ground." His slashed smile returned "I wonder what he'd say if he could see this? He always HATED weapons."

"I'm not to fond of them being used on ME either." Kaolinite murmured, earning a chuckle of approval from the Doctor as he stepped back, allowing her to get changed again "Is the new Daimon Seed Ready?"

"It is…" the Professor admitted, holding out his hand, where the glowing Seed of evil hovered ominously "Do try to find a talisman this time, will you?"

* * *

_With lelouch..._

"Are you alright?" C3 asked, the Golden Zecter hovering around Lelouch's head as he typed away at his computer, his features fixed in a nigh-permanent scowl.

Ever since the disastrous events at Lover's Park, Lelouch had been oddly silent, the former Emperor only offering curt, terse responses to any questions he was asked. At one point, when a bunch of street punks had tried to shake them down for money, he'd used his Geass on them, telling them to take a hike. They were finally brought to hospital after being missing for three days, thin from lack of food or water, their feet torn and bloody from constantly walking.

"I know whatever you saw that day must have been rough…" C3 called out, her tone concerned as she hovered near the teen "But you need to get over it! It was just an illusion!"

"Buzz off." Lelouch muttered, the former Emperor waving a hand at the Zecter to drive her away from him, not even turning to look at her when she dodged it "You're bothering me."

"Oh no, you're not getting rid of me that easily!" C3 declared, circling the teen's head rapidly, forcing him to shield himself from the assault "You think THIS is bad? I can do worse!"

"Dammit just leave me alone!" Lelouch snapped, jumping to his feat, glaring heatedly at the Zecter as she backed off in surprise "I'm dealing with it, alright?"

"No, you're not." C3 countered, hovering up to eye level with the teen "I'm your partner, remember? I know whatever you saw that day shook you up. But you can't let it drag you down. You have a job to do."

"You think I don't know that?" Lelouch demanded, his tone annoyed "The only reason I'm HERE is because T thought I was something special." He snorted, a self-mocking smile adorning his face "Jokes on him then, there's nothing special about me."

"Lelouch…" C3 began, the Zecter's tone laced with concern, only to turn in the air as the teen strode past her, grabbing his coat from the sofa "Where are you going?"

"Out for a ride." Lelouch replied, the former emperor's tone gruff as he tugged his jacket on over his shoulders "Don't follow me." He ordered shutting the door behind him with a click, picking his way past the horde of cats towards the garden, unleashing an exasperated sigh as he stepped into the fresh air for what felt like the first time in days.

'Dammit…she's right…' he muttered, stepping through the hole in the garden wall and making his way towards the street, where the Side-Bashaar was parked 'I can't let that dime-store illusion get the better of me…'

But it was one thing to say the words, and another thing to do something about them. He could still remember the smell of his sister's hair, her bright eyes and angelic smile as she looked up at him, the two of them dancing in their own little world. It was a fairy tail, a story that would never happen, but which Lelouch wished fervently would, if only for a moment.

'Stop thinking about it.' he muttered, pulling his Zero helmet on and revving the engine of his bike, pulling away from the curb and tearing down the street 'The more you focus on it, longer it'll stick around-!'

He trailed off as his phone's tone went off, reaching into his pocket to pull out the black and gold device, flipping it open to reveal a detailed grid-map of the area, with a purple dot on the move.

"Daimon Seed…" he muttered, a dark smirk adorning his features as he revved the engine, taking the next turn at an impressive speed "Perfect, I needed an excuse to vent!"

He took the next corner at top speed, only to curse as he espied two figures on the pedestrian crossing, right in his path. "DAMN!" he swore, yanking the break, turning the bike in an attempt to avoid the duo, only for the taller of the pair to tackle the smaller one out of the way, the brakes of the bike squealing as it screeched to a halt, the side-car scant inches from colliding with the pair as they lay on the ground.

"Damn!" he swore again, Daimon Seed forgotten as he cut the ignition, pulling his helmet off as he clambered off the bike to check on them "Are you alright?" he called out, only to blink as he recognized the two figures lying before him "You two?"

"Lelouch-san?" Usagi stammered, blinking up at the former emperor in confusion, rubbing the back of her head from where she'd hit the ground "is that you?"

"I'm sorry." Lelouch offered, kneeling down next to the pair to check them over "I wasn't paying attention, I didn't hurt you did I?"

"No, I'm fine," Usagi assured him with a smile, a little shaken from the experience but otherwise alright "What about you, Mako-chan?"

Lelouch turned to the brunet when she didn't respond, noticing that she seemed a little dazed and kicking himself for his negligence. 'A fine job I'm doing…' he muttered, even as he reached into his pocket for a handkerchief to wrap up the cut on the brunette's hand 'I'm brought back to life to save the world and I almost turn two of it's protector's into street pizza.'

"Sorry." He offered again, so intent on bandaging Makoto's hand that he didn't notice the looks she was giving him, or the looks Usagi was giving the brunette "I should have been paying attention, though that's no excuse."

"It...Its alright," Makoto whispered, her features lighting up in a blush that Lelouch missed on account of his attention being focused on the task at hand, Usagi sweatdropping as she recognized her friend's symptoms for what they were.

"There." Lelouch offered, smiling as he finished his makeshift bandage "That should do it, though I'd feel better if you had a doctor check you over to be safe."

"N-No!" Makoto assured the teen, her features flushing as she shook her head "I'm fine! Really! Just a little scratch!"

"Then at the very least let me take you to your destination." Lelouch insisted, smiling at the brunette before she could refuse "You really shouldn't be walking around after something like this."

"Eh? You mean we get to ride on you bike Lelouch-san?" Usagi exclaimed, her concern for Makoto's reaction replaced with excitement "YAY! Thank you!"

"It's the least I can do after almost running you over." Lelouch assured her, smiling as he got to his feet, offering a hand to held the pair up "You're Makoto-san right? From the night at the Recital?" he smiled at her nod "I think you'd be better off riding in the side-car, just to be safe."

"Y-yeah…" Makoto agreed, allowing herself to be lead to the bike, an excited Usagi already sitting behind the handlebars, making revving noises, the brunette's eyes never leaving Lelouch's features even as he clambered back onto the bike, making sure Usagi and Makoto was secure before taking off towards the Hikawa shrine at a much more sedate pace.

* * *

_Later..._

"Thanks again Lelouch-san!" Usagi called out, smiling at the teen as she and Makto stepped onto the curb at the bottom of the steps leading up to Hikawa shrine her book bag in hand "It was a lot of fun!"

"I'm just glad I didn't hit you." Lelouch returned, smiling at the pair as he pulled his helmet on "You two are too cute to become street pizza toppings." He saluted them before revving the engine and riding of "Take care!"

"Bye-bye!" Usagi called out, waving at the teen as he rode off, before turning to smile at Makoto, who'd been quiet the entire time "Mako-chan, thanks for helping me out…earlier?"

She trailed off, sweatdropping at the dazed, familiar look that adorned her friend's face. It was the same, starry-eyed look the brunette got every time some new hunk walked into her life, usually comparing them to her 'sempai'. Normally she'd be content to just let the girl dream, but the memory of Lelouch's words at the café where Unazuki worked was fresh in her mind, and the blonde, in an unusual show of insight, figured it'd be best to warn her friend before she did something she might regret.

"Mako-chan." She called out, patting the taller girl on the arm to get her attention "I know Lelouch-san's hot and all, but you might want to hold back." She continued at her taller friend's look of confusion "His girlfriend died a while back, he told me and Unazuki-chan back when she asked me if she should wait to kiss her boyfriend."

Makoto blinked, her eyes widening in alarm, only to soften, laced with concern and sadness as she turned to gaze in the direction the foreign teen had disappeared to, one hand coming up to touch the handkerchief he'd wrapped around her hand as she held it to her heart.

* * *

_Elsewhere..._

While this was going on, Kaioh Michiru was floating on her back, her eyes closed as she simply lay in the crystalline waters of the majestic pool, her long, aquamarine hair trailing behind her, her features calm, so calm one would assume she was asleep, were it not for the subtle movements of her legs.

"We need to find the Messiah at any cost." Haruka's muttered, the blonde sitting off to the side, waiting for her lover to finish her dip, Normally she'd be out for a ride, but with her bike license pulled, she figured she may as well hang around "We know that the three talismans are the key to finding the messiah, and that they're hidden in Pure Hearts." She clenched a fist in determination "I'll do anything to ensure we are the ones to find them."

"Even if it means sacrificing the ones who hold them?" Michiru asked, though she never opened her eyes as she continued to drift in the water.

"For the sake of world peace we HAVE to." Haruka replied, though her conviction seemed a little less ironclad than normal, and a frown marred her features.

"You seem uncertain." Michiru noted, somehow able to tell her lover's mood despite not being able to see her "Could it be that you've taken Caucasus-san's words to heart?"

"Don't get me wrong…" Haruka muttered, her tone defensive "I don't trust the guy, he just pops up out of nowhere and starts helping the scouts, insults us, gets in the way of our checking the crystals…"

"Basically doing the things we WISH we could do." Michiru pointed out, causing Haruka to flinch "Admit it, when you saw that Daimon attack the little Kameda-san, you only stopped yourself because I was there to remind you."

Haruka grimaced but said nothing, the two Senshi sitting, or floating in Michiru's case, in total silence as they went over what little they knew about the Rider.

As much as she hated to admit it, there was a part of them that HATED what they had to do. They were SENSHI, warrior of Love and Justice, whose sworn duty was to protect the innocent, and they were PROUD to bear the mantle.

Which was why Caucasus' comparison of them to the Death busters hurt so much, as try as they might, no matter how they explained themselves, the Rider was RIGHT. What was the point of saving the world if it meant having to kill innocent people to do it?

When they'd first started out, it had seemed an easy choice: three lives for countless billions. Back then, Uranus wouldn't have thought twice about using her World Shaking to get her hands on the talismans, the same for Neptune, brushing aside any feeble attempts at reasoning that the younger senshi might attempt to sway them, after all, what did a bunch of kids know?

But Caucasus was different. The Rider was strong, she'd had the bruises to prove it from the last time they scuffled, and clever too, using his abilities and his weapons to their fullest to take down his enemies, in order to carry out his mission to ensure that the Talismans stayed out of the wrong hands, whether those hands belonged to the Death Busters, or the Senshi.

"The sea is in an uproar," Michiru sighed, exiting the pool and toweling off, using a nearby remote to open the curtains and let some light in "but it is turning on itself."

* * *

_With Lelouch..._

"Damn…" Lelouch muttered, scowling as he looked up from his phone, the former Emperor having come out to try and see if he could locate the Daimon Seed signature from yesterday "No luck…must have buried itself already."

"Well it's good to see you're back to normal at least." C3 noted, the golden Zecter hovering near his ear as she spoke "Maybe you should run-over senshi more often?"

"It was an accident." Lelouch muttered, scowling at the Zecter angrily "And I thought I told you not to follow me?"

"I didn't, I went out on patrol and happened to see you almost run over Sailors Moon and Jupiter in civilian form." C3 replied smugly "You do know that, outside of Senshi armor, they're just ordinary human girls, right?"

"I know it ALL to well." Lelouch muttered, recalling Usagi's various hijinks, from her failed attempts at violin, to her cheers of 'faster!' when she'd ridden behind him the other day. "Speak of the devil…" he muttered, smiling as he espied the meatball head walking down the street with Makoto and the bluenette, Ami if memory served, no doubt on their way to school "Going to school in the morning's such a drag." He recalled, sighing whimsically of his days cutting class "Makes me glad I finished school early."

"Dropping out in order to take over an empire does NOT count as finishing early." C3 pointed out, her tone smug as Lelouch frowned at her, the former emperor opening his mouth to counter attack, only to freeze at the sight of a familiar, redheaded figure, her ridiculously revealing red outfit exposing her noticeably pale skin. Kaolinite.

'How in the hell did they miss her?' he wondered, staring at the Death Buster, who turned her head to smirk at the senshi, as they walked right past her without reacting 'Seriously, redheads are unique enough in this country, never-mind crazy psychotic ones that dress like hookers and summon monsters!'

"Lelouch!" C3 called out, drawing the teen's attention to his phone, the former emperor snapping it open, only to glance up at the sky after a quick check, his eyes narrowing as he espied the Daimon Seed hovering in the air, following the Senshi like a hawk.

"Damn…" he muttered, glaring at Kaolinite again, only for the redhead vanished in a flash of red, "Come on!" he muttered, revving the engine of his bike "We gotta follow them!"

* * *

_With Makoto..._

"Oh where did it go?" Makoto wondered, the brunette crawling around on all fours, looking around in concern for Lelouch's handkerchief. The Brunette had asked Usagi and Ami if they had any idea where the foreign teen was staying, claiming she wanted to return his handkerchief, but truthfully wanting a reason to visit him. True, Usagi's tale about his old girlfriend dying had been like a slap in the face, but that didn't mean she couldn't VISIT the guy, offer him friendship, support, a shoulder to cry on.

But then a freak gust of wind had come out of nowhere tugging the handkerchief out of her grip and carrying it off, Makoto chasing it down to a parking lot, where several cars awaited their owner's return.

"There it is!" the brunette exclaimed, espying the missing piece of cloth under another car, not to far from the first "Alright!" she exclaimed, moving over to the vehicle in question, getting down on all fours again, only to curse as she realized the scarf was too far in "Almost there…" she urged herself, trying to reach further under the car, cheering as she snagged a corner only to freeze as the cloth shifted, as if another hand was clasping her own.

"SCAR…" a voice moaned, Makoto's eyes widening in alarm as she espied a fanged mask gazing back at her, recoiling from it as it crawled out from under the car, it's body concealed beneath a dark blue cloak "That Pure heart that shows concern for others…" the Daimon rasped, Ribbons erupting from under it's robes to envelop the stunned brunette "I shall take it! SCAR!"

"Shine Aqua Illusion!" a familiar voice called out, Sailor Mercury's attack washing over the ribbons, allowing Makoto to bust out of them with little trouble, the Daimon turning to find the Senshi of Ice standing alongside Sailor Moon, who did NOT look pleased.

"What do you think you're doing so early in the morning?" the leader of the Senshi demanded, glaring at the cloaked Daimon that had DARED to attack her friend, twirling the Spiral Heart Moon Rod as she spoke "Get away from that girl!" she ordered, pointing the rod at it for emphasis, even as Mercury did her best to look intimidating, which was surprisingly effective, as the bluenette did Not tolerate any harm coming to the people she cared about, ESPECIALLY not from monsters.

"Of all the luck!" Kaolinite cursed, the redhead scowling at the senshi from her hiding place in a back alley. Just what were the odds of the damned Senshi, even if it WAS only two of them, just happening to come along just as her Daimon was making it's move? It hadn't even been a MINUTE since the Daimon Seed took root! That HAD to be a record.

"Scar!" she called out, knowing that from her position the senshi wouldn't be able to see her before she could get away "Retreat for now!" she ordered, not wanting to lose another Daimon so quickly, as there'd be plenty of time to hunt the girl down when the senshi weren't around, teleporting away, before Moon and Mercury could catch a glimpse of her, as she wasn't in the mood for a fight either, not with her wound still recovering.

"SCAR!" the Daimon cried, having received its orders to retreat, and all to eager to comply. After all, it wasn't stupid, it KNEW what kind of power the Spiral Moon Rod could pack behind it's deceptively girly appearance, and didn't feel like experiencing it first hand any time soon, especially not before she got a chance to cut loose.

And so, gathering her cloak about her, the Daimon leapt into the air, soaring easily over the stunned forms of the two Senshi, who could do little but gape up at her in shock, following her trajectory with wide eyes as she landed gracefully in a crouch, despite wearing high heals.

"Later, SCAR!" she jeered, breaking out into a sprint, her cloak riding up, revealing long, feminine legs that were a pale purple. Glancing over her shoulder at the dumbstruck senshi, the Daimon couldn't help but laugh, confident that with her speed, and this excellent head start, she was in the clear.

"W-what the heck was that?" Sailor Moon stammered, staring after the retreating Daimon, completely thrown by how RIDICULOUS it looked, an equally stunned Sailor Mercury at her side, only for them to snap out of their daze when Makoto, drained by the experience, dropped to her knees "MAKO-chan!"

* * *

_On a rooftop..._

"Looks like that girl is the target this time…" Sailor Neptune noted, the two elder senshi looking down on the scene of the attack from atop a nearby building, the aquamarine senshi's eyes lined with concern as she watched Moon and Mercury try to comfort the brunet in question "What should we do?"

"What else can we do?" Uranus demanded, her tone tense as she eyed the brunette below with a careful expression "Her Crystal could contain a Talisman, we need to check it out." She grimaced as she glanced at Sailor Moon, who was patting the brunet's back comfortingly "Damn Moon Brain had to go and do something foolish."

"I'd say what she did was pretty much the standard for a Senshi." A voice countered, the duo whipping round to find Caucasus standing behind them, his arms crossed as he leant against the wall.

* * *

And we'll leave off there.

C.C: KYou like doing that don't you?

Kyugan: It helps get them hooked.

C.C: Sure it does.

Kyugan: In any case, I hope that's enough backstory for those that needed it.

C.C: Next time He'll be going over Caucasus' armoury.

Kyugan: I will? Well, only if people ask.

In regards to pairings, undecided for now. Lelouch is a natural flirt, but he's not much of a romantic.


	14. Chapter 14

Back again, and I see interests are piqued!

Let's see how this one's gonna work out!

* * *

Date with a Daimon.

"Caucasus-san." Neptune exclaimed, the aquamarine haired senshi looking startled at the Golden Rider's presence, as she hadn't even heard him sneak up behind them "How long have you been there?"

"Long enough." The Rider noted, his tone neutral, though the senshi had the feeling he was staring right through them "Still stalking the Heart Crystals I see."

"I know you don't approve of our methods, Caucasus-san." Neptune spoke up, cutting off Uranus before her partner could get started on tearing into the Rider, which they both knew wouldn't end well "But this is the only way, since there's no means of tracking the Talismans while they're inside their hosts."

"Have you considered asking the other Senshi for help?" Caucasus asked, still leaning against the wall "I understand Mercury's computer is quite good at coming up with solutions to unsolvable problems."

"Do you really think that those girls would agree to work with us if it meant sacrificing three innocent lives?" Uranus argued, her arms crossed beneath her breasts as she tilted her head towards Sailor Moon "They'd only get in our way. We have to do this on our own."

"I see…" Caucasus muttered, his masked gaze washing over the pair "So that's how it is…you don't want them getting involved because you don't want them getting caught up in your sins."

Uranus flinched, scowling at being caught out as she averted her gaze, even as Neptune eyed the Golden Rider in shock, surprised by how quickly he'd figured them out. "You're willing to make the entire world your enemy in order to save it." Caucasus noted, his eyes never leaving the pair "I can relate to that, I've been down that road myself."

Neptune blinked, wondering what on earth the Rider was talking about, only for him to step away from the wall and move to walk away. "Is that it?" Uranus called out, her tone suspicious as she quirked a brow at him "You're not gonna try and stop us?"

"Would it make any difference if I did?" Caucasus countered, though he did stop, standing with his back to the pair "You two seem determined to find the Talismans, even if it means being branded as evil." The Senshi flinched but said nothing as the Rider continued "I'm sure you have your reasons, and so have no reason to judge you."

"So you're not going to interfere with us anymore?" Uranus asked, quirking a brow at the Rider's apparent surrender, only for Caucasus to snort.

"Hardly," the Rider countered, his tone wry "if I see a heart crystal being snatched, I'm going to defend it, no matter WHO'S holding it at the time."

"I suppose that's the best we can expect really." Neptune sighed, even as Uranus snorted, the blonde Senshi crossing her arms beneath her breasts. It wasn't as good as Caucasus teaming up with them, but so long as they didn't deliberately go out of their way to endanger the Heart Crystals, which Neptune was adverse to from the start, then they had no reason to fear the Rider coming after them. Considering the circumstances, it was the best they could hope for really.

"I've got things to do, so I'll be taking my leave now." Caucasus offered, only to turn his head, regarding the Senshi over his shoulder with one blue eye "But I'll be keeping an eye on the girl."

That said, he slapped the side of his belt, disappearing with a cry of "CLOCK UP!" leaving the two Senshi alone on the rooftop.

* * *

_The next day... _

"Mako-CHA~N!" Usagi called out, her hand raised in the air as she opened the door to her friend's classroom. "Let's walk home together!"

Ever since the failed attack earlier that day, the Senshi had been sticking to Makoto like glue whenever they could, Ami and Usagi usually following the brunette wherever she went around school and one the way to the shrine. So far the Death Busters hadn't made an attempt to pick up where they left off, but the Senshi weren't about to relax their guard until they'd seen the Daimon defeated with their own two eyes.

"Ah, Tsukino-san." One of the girls in the classroom called out, looking up from her backpack at the blonde's entrance "Makoto-san already left, said she had something important to do."

Usagi sweat-dropped, having a pretty good idea of just WHAT her friend had gone off looking for, as Makoto hadn't stopped fretting about losing Lelouch's handkerchief, so much so that it took her and Ami in SENSHI form to pull the brunette out of the parking lot. With that in mind, not bothering to wait and see if Ami could tag along, the blonde raced out of school, making her way down the familiar path, pulling up short at the scene of yesterday's anti-climactic battle, where sure enough, Makoto was straightening up from peering under the cars.

"That's weird…" the tall brunette wondered, one hand on her hip as she gazed around the parking lot in concern "Where could it have gone?"

"Mako-chan!" Usagi called out, her tone as irate as it was relieved as she raced up to her friend, a worried scowl on her face "What are you doing out here all by yourself? Don't tell me you're still looking for that handkerchief?"

"W-Well yeah…" Makoto stammered, blushing in embarrassment "But it's not for what you think!" she assured the blonde "I just want to give it back to him, that's all."

"Give what back to me?" a voice called out, the girls looking up to see a familiar figure standing in the driveway, his helmet tucked under his shoulder "I THOUGHT I recognized those meatballs, small world, Usagi-san, Makoto-san."

"Lelouch-san!" Makoto exclaimed, her face lighting up, even as Usagi blinked, mouthing the word 'meatballs' in confusion "I-I'm sorry! Your handkerchief-!"

"It's alright." Lelouch assured her, his tone comforting "I'm just relieved that you weren't hurt the other day. A handkerchief is a small price to pay for a person's life."

"Lelouch-san…" Makoto marveled, her eye sparkling in wonder, causing Usagi to sweatdrop, recognizing the brunette's expression all too well.

"I was actually looking for you." Lelouch admitted, startling the two girls as he sighed, his expression saddened "I couldn't stop kicking myself for almost running you over the other day, you could have been killed." He smiled at them "Why don't I make it up to you? Are you doing anything this evening?"

"Ah! Not really!" Makoto countered, slapping a hand over Usagi's mouth to keep the blonde girl from reminding her they needed to go to Rei's "What…what did you have in mind?"

"I thought you'd like to go for a ride." Lelouch offered, tilting his head towards his motorcycle and sidecar, which was parked outside "I hear the sunset over the harbor is to die for," he smiled at the pair charmingly "That is, unless you ladies have something else in mind."

"W-We're good…" the pair stammered, their eyes little hearts as they found themselves gripped in those regal, charming features, sparkles filling the air.

"Alright," Lelouch offered, smiling at the pair "Usagi-san, you got to ride behind me last time, so you get to sit in the side-car today." He smiled at Makoto "Unless you'd prefer the seat, Makoto-san?"

"N-No I'm fine…" Makoto assured him, her face lighting up as they clambered onto the bike, Usagi cheering as she sat in the side-car, while Makoto pressed her head against Lelouch's back, a warm little flush adorning her features as they rode off together, scant seconds before a car pulled up alongside the parking lot.

* * *

_Nearby... _

"That was Usagi-chan." Michiru noted, looking on in surprise as the trio disappeared over the hill "Looks like her boyfriend came to pick her up."

"That's not Odango's boyfriend." Haruka countered, the cross-dressing blonde quirking a brow as she eyed the bike in question "That's Lulu's bike."

"Lelouch-san?" Michiru wondered, her eyes widening in surprise "Oh my, I wonder what he was doing here?"

"Well he's one of Odango's friends isn't he?" Haruka noted, shrugging offhandedly as she turned the wheel, pulling away from the curb "Maybe he offered to give them a lift, he seems the kind that likes to help others."

"That he is." Michiru smiled, recalling how the teen had stood in for Haruka when the blonde couldn't make it to the recital, only to sigh as she shook her head "Still, this will make checking her Heart Crystal all the harder."

"Not really…" Uranus countered, her tone calm, which was surprising, as she was normally the first to show irritation "This way we don't need to worry about our cover being blown if someone sees us transform."

Michiru nodded, though a saddened frown marred her pretty features, the aquamarine senshi peering after the trio as Haruka kept pace easily, keeping several cars back to avoid looking like they were following them. "Haruka…" she spoke up, her tone cautious "I know our mission is important, I know that all too well…" she glanced at the blonde in concern "But do we really have to sacrifice someone's life for it?"

It was left unsaid that this wasn't some faceless person that they'd stalked out because of the possibility their Pure Heart may contain a Talisman. This was someone that was a close personal friend of someone they knew, and while they hadn't known Tsukino Usagi all that long, the blonde girl had grown on the pair, enough so that she actually rated a nickname from Haruka.

"I know how you feel, Michiru." Haruka muttered her hand tightening on the grip of the steering wheel, her jaw tensing "But the Odango's friend or not, the girl's heart may have a Talisman, we can't take the risk of it slipping through our fingers, either because the Daimon gets it or because it's replaced before we can check."

"And what about Caucasus-san?" Michiru asked, looking at her lover in concern "Will you fight him again if he interferes."

"He told us himself he's not gonna try to stop us so long as we don't do anything to make the situation worse." Uranus reminded the woman, her tone solemn "All that means is that we check the Crystals AFTER we destroy the Daimon.'

"And if it possesses a Talisman?" Michiru asked, her eyes locked onto the blonde's face, her voice laced with concern "Do you think he would simply stand back and let us walk off with it then?"

"We'll deal with THAT when it happens." Haruka muttered, though she didn't sound as confident as she would have been at the start of their mission. The Senshi knew all to well that Caucasus was a strong opponent to have, and didn't relish the idea of going up against him again. But for the sake of their mission, for the sake of the countless lives that would be spared from The Silence, she knew she'd be forced to do so.

'Dammit…' she snorted, recalling how the Golden Rider had so easily sussed out her reasons for alienating the Inner Senshi, 'The one guy that I can actually relate to and I don't even known what he looks like.'

* * *

_Hikawa shrine... _

"The hell do you mean you're on a date?" Rei hissed, the priestess glaring at Usagi over the Senshi communicator watches they all wore "What about our study sessions?"

"I'm not on a date!" Usagi countered, hissing her reply into the watch as she stood off to the side, glancing over her shoulder to see if anyone had noticed "Lelouch-san showed up and offered to make up for nearly running into Mako-chan and me yesterday! We're with him now!"

"So you're together then…" Ami sighed, the bluenette sounding relieved, as at the very least, someone was there in case Makoto was targeted again.

"Dammit Makoto…" Minako grit out, biting her thumb, her jealousy evident as she bit on her thumbnail "Snagging a cute guy like that! She could have invited ME along!"

"That's not what I meant…" Ami countered, shaking her head as she held a hand up, trying to get the blonde's attention.

"Dammit…" Rei muttered, crossing her arms "I know Usagi's a lost cause, but I always figured MAKOTO at least was serious about studying."

"That's not what I meant either!" Ami sputtered, the bluenette turning her attention to Rei, even as Minako nodded in agreement.

"Lost cause am I?" Usagi demanded, her voice annoyed, only to smirk evilly as she pulled a magazine she'd 'borrowed' from Rei's collection without telling her "Is that REALLY someone who collects things like THIS should be saying?"

"GACK!" Rei spluttered, the priestess blushing crimson at the sight of the cover, which depicted a woman dressed in a men's sailor uniform, complete with mascara moustache, "Dammit Usagi! What the hell have I told you about going through my things! Have you no concept of respect for other people's privacy?"

"That's not the problem!" Ami cried out, slamming her fists on the kotatsu table as her normally saint-like patience finally reached the end of its rope, only for her face to redden in the ensuring silence as she realized what she'd just done.

"In…in any case…" she stammered, looking between them all nervously "Mako-chan is the Death Buster's newest target right? At the very least, she shouldn't be walking around on her own."

"Not that having Usagi as her only protection will do any good…" Rei muttered, nodding in understanding at the bluenette's words, even as the pigtailed blonde in question blew a rasberry at her over the communicator "Where are you now?"

"We just pulled up at the harbor a while ago." Usagi replied, still a little hurt by her friend's statement, but seeing the need to get over it "It's so romantic! Mamo-chan and I are SO coming here on our next date!"

"So that'll be sometime AFTER you get into high-school then?" Rei snorted, earning a wail from the blonde even as she snapped the communicator closed. It was just too easy to mess with her blonde friend.

* * *

_Juuban harbor... _

"Rei-chan no BAKA!" Usagi yelled, snapping the communicator closed with a huff, a scowl on her face at the fire senshi's parting jab, only to sigh, knowing that as much as she hated to admit it, her friend was right. With the recent string of Daimon attacks, the Senshi had hardly any time to get any studying done. For Usagi, whose grades were never that spectacular to begin with, this meant her prospects of getting into High School were looking worse and worse by the minute.

'Can't worry about that now…' she muttered, pumping her fist with a determined expression as she glanced at the sky 'I have to be here for Mako-chan! No Daimon's getting it's hands on her Pure Heart while I'm on the job!'

"You finish your call?" a voice called out, Usagi letting out a yelp of alarm, whipping round to find Makoto and Lelouch standing behind her. "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you." The foreign teen apologized, smiling as he held out a can of what looked like hot coffee, probably from a vending machine. "Here, it'll ward off the chill." He explained, nodding to Makoto, who was gazing at the opened can in her hands with a faint blush.

"Th-thanks…" Usagi stammered, still shocked at how the teen had snuck up on her so easily, her heart racing a mile a minute as she accepted the hot can from him, though she didn't open it, as she wasn't a coffee fan. She simply held onto it to keep her hands warm against the slight chill that was coming off the ocean breeze.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Lelouch noted, smiling as he gazed out past the docked ships towards the horizon, which glowed a deep, cozy red in contrast to the overhanging dark of the night sky, the lights of the city around them twinkling like stars "Japan is known as the land of the Rising Sun, but it's sunsets are nothing to be scoffed at either."

"Yeah…" the girls agreed, feeling a hint of national pride for their homeland as they followed his gaze, watching the last rays of the sun fade away.

"I'm glad I got to spend time with you both today." Lelouch admitted, smiling at the pair as the sun dipped below the waves "We haven't really had much of a chance to get to know one another, despite all the times we've bumped into each other."

"Like yesterday?" Makoto offered, the brunette blushing slightly as Lelouch chuckled weakly at her little joke, her heart soaring at how young it made him look.

"Again, I'm sorry about that." Lelouch offered, looking at the brunette in concern "I really should have been paying attention, I could have seriously hurt you and Usagi-san back there."

"It's nothing, I'm just glad you saw us when you did." Makoto assured the teen, lowering her head shyly as she fiddled with her fingers "I mean, not that you'd have a hard time spotting me…"

"True, there aren't many women that are as distinguishing as you." Lelouch admitted, missing the girl's flinch "You probably have to beat the boys off with a stick."

"N-Not really…" Makoto muttered, lowering her head in embarrassment "Actually, I'm not that popular at all. I'm too tall and not very feminine, most guys don't like that."

"Well then they don't know what they're missing." Lelouch countered "It takes a very special person to shield someone from danger with their own body.' He elaborated with a smile "Only a truly good person would do something like that."

"L-Lelouch-san…" Makoto stammered, her cheeks ablaze while off to the side, Usagi was staring at them with stars in her eyes "I…!"

"SCAR!" a voice called out from behind her, the brunette whipping round, eyes to widening at the sight of the masked face of the Daimon from yesterday. "This time I'll take your Pure Heart for sure!" she declared, launching a mass of red ribbon at the brunette.

"RUN, MAKOTO!" Lelouch yelled, shoving the brunette out of the way, only to be enveloped in the Daimon's attack, struggling futilely as he was effectively mummified.

"Lelouch-san!" the girls called out, looking on in concern as the mummified teen tumbled over backwards, looking on in horror as he fell over the rail into the water "NO!"

"You've got bigger problems SCAR!" the Daimon yelled, moving in front of the girls, throwing it's coat open wide like a flasher, the girls covering their faces in alarm, only to blink as, instead of the naked man's body they'd been expecting, they found a shapely woman's body, her pail violet skin wrapped in a tight red dress that appeared to be made of silk ribbon.

"Your Pure Heart…" the Daimon declared, the ribbons on her back wrapping around the Brunette before she could react "This time I'll take it for sure!"

"LEAVE Mako-chan alone you bully!" Usagi yelled, hurling her unopened can of coffee at the Daimon, cheering as it smacked into her masked face, only to blink as the mask came off, revealing the Daimon's true face underneath.

"It's dangerous to throw things at people!" the Daimon called out, her voice changing to a much cuter tone that matched her adorable features, even as she aimed her arm at the blonde, lashing out with the sleeves of her dress, sending Usagi crashing into the woods.

"That takes care of all the interruptions." A voice called out, Makoto lookin up to see Kaolinite standing atop a nearby building "Scar! Take her Pure Heart Crystal NOW!"

"SCAR!" the Daimon agreed, her hands parting the ribbons on her chest to reveal the Black Star Tattoo on her left breast, the beam emerging even as Makoto's screams began.

* * *

_In the bushes... _

"Right on schedule…" Neptune sighed, the two Senshi looking on in distaste from their hiding place, even as Neptune scowled, the blonde Senshi HATING that it had to be this way, but it was the only way to check for Talismans.

'The moment the crystal is in the clear however, I'm BLASTING that Daimon to little pieces…' she vowed, her fingers gripping her arm tightly as she fought to keep herself from racing out there, only to scowl as Makoto's screams stopped, the girl going limp as her heart crystal was extracted "NOW!" she cried, "WORLD SHAKING!"

The redhead gasped, leaping out of the way of the attack, forcing her to drop the crystal, which Neptune caught in her hand as the senshi leapt from cover.

"Sorry Red." Uranus called out, her eyes hard as she glared at the Death Buster "But we can't have you getting your hands on the talismans."

"Damn you!" Kaolinite snarled, holding her injured side, which hadn't appreciated the sudden movement "SCAR! Finish them!"

"SCAR!" the Daimon yelled, releasing Makoto and moving to leap into the air, only to choke as something rammed into the side of her face, sending her crashing into a wall, Caucasus appearing with a cry of "CLOCK OVER!" carrying the brunette in his arms bridal style to keep her from hitting the floor.

"Yo." Uranus called out, smirking at the Rider as she moved out of her combat stance, though she kept her guard up "About time you got here gold-bug." She eyed the water coming off him "You taking a shower?"

"I was taking care of the guy that got knocked into the ocean." Caucasus shot back, causing Makoto's eye to twitch slightly, the girl still conscious despite losing her heart.

"HOLD IT!" a voice called out, the trio turning round to see the Sailor Senshi perched atop a nearby collection of statues "Villains that would steal a young maiden's heart, the Sailor Senshi will punish you!"

"You're a bit late kiddies." Uranus called out, smirking teasingly at the younger Senshi as they leapt down to street level, putting on her best 'Bad Girl' impression "We already got the Heart Crystal."

"Please give it back!" Sailor Moon called out, a little caught off guard at the sight of Caucasus and the elder Senshi together "That girl needs her Pure Heart or she'll die!"

"Sure." Uranus muttered, shrugging offhandedly as she took the crystal from Neptune, tossing it to the stunned Moon Senshi "It's not a Talisman anyway we don't need it."

"SCAAAAAAAAAAAAR!" a voice screamed, the Daimon from earlier rearing to it's feet, intent on revenge for her assault "It's dangerous to strike a woman's face!"

"True," Caucasus muttered, straightening up as he set Makoto into the arms of the concerned Senshi as he gripped his wrist "But then you're not a woman…Rider Kick!"

"RIDER BEAT!" the Caucasus Zecter declared, Tachyon energy racing all over his armor, his blue eyes lighting up even as his horns stared to glow, Scar pulling up short in alarm as the Rider spun round, delivering a devastating heel kick that slammed into her head, the explosion from the impact destroying her before she had a chance to scream.

* * *

_As the dust settles..._

"Heh, he stole the best part again." Uranus scoffed, smirking to herself as she watched the dust die down, only to turn on her heel to walk off "Let's go, Neptune."

"Hold it!" Sailor Moon called out accusingly "I saw you two hiding in the woods while the girl was attacked! How could you just stand there and let that happen?" she stepped forward as the elder senshi ignored her "Wait!"

"Let it go, Sailor Moon." Caucasus called out, the Rider stepping out of the dust cloud that was all that remained of the Daimon "I may not like it, but they have their reasons."

"Caucasus-san? You're agreeing with them?" Mercury wondered, the inner senshi looking at the Rider with something close to betrayal in their eyes.

"Hardly." The Rider countered "I don't approve of their methods, but bereft of a means of locating the Talismans, it's the best they can do." He held up a finger to silence them when they made to speak "I'm not telling you to condone it, just consider this: What do you do when there is an evil you cannot defeat by just means?" he continued at their look of confusion "Do you stain your hands with evil to destroy evil? Or do you remain steadfast and just even if it means surrendering to evil?"

"An Evil we can't defeat by just means?" Sailor Moon repeated, looking thrown by the highly philosophical question as Caucasus walked off "What do you mean?" she asked, only for Caucasus to slap the button on his hip, vanishing with a cry of "CLOCK UP!"

* * *

And we'll leave off there.

For those wondering, no Lulu and the outers aren't teaming up, he's just less likely to fight with them now, and in the long run, might wind up smacking some sense into them.

C.C: Now if only Suzaku could've been convinced that easily.

Kyugan: His protagonist shounen hero sex-beam only works on men, suzaku might be a backstabbing cockbite, but there was no doubting he was a man.

C.C: of course, if he were a woman, he'd have been a lot more tactful.

Kyugan:...I honestly don't know how to respond to that.


	15. Chapter 15

Back again, and things are going well.

To answer several questions: Yes, other Riders will begin appearing. Some will simply be cameos, others will become more prominent.

Sadly, they won't be 'Kabuto era' riders, as epic as that would be, I've something else planned down the line.

In any case, let's pick up where we left off!

* * *

Jumping in the Deep End.

"Just great…" Rei muttered, the Senshi having regrouped back at her temple after returning Makoto's Heart Crystal "Bad enough the Death Busters and Uranus and Neptune are running around hunting talismans, now Caucasus is helping them?"

"He didn't say that, Rei-chan." Ami countered, waving a hand dismissively "And he's already proven that he doesn't like the way they do things, he just seems to know more about the talismans than we do."

"Yeah Rei!" Minako agreed "There's no WAY Caucasus is on their side! When he helped Usagi and me get Kameda the mechanic's Crystal back, he clotheslined Uranus to keep her from getting the crystal!"

"Wish I could've seen that…" Makoto muttered, smirking wryly, as she hadn't the best of opinions of the elder Senshi after learning they'd let her Crystal be extracted on purpose "Still, doesn't explain why he stood up for them."

"Well…maybe it's because he understands them better than we do?" Ami suggested, drawing attention to herself "I mean, before he filled us in, we didn't even know WHO we were fighting before, let alone what they wanted. It's not like the time with Beryl and the Dark Moon Clan, whoever these Death Busters are, they could care less about the Ginzuishou."

"Yeah, they're after that Holy Grail thingy…" Usagi recalled, the blonde girl nodding her head in understanding, even as she pigged out on Rei's snacks "Wonder what that is anyways?"

"Well, according to the Arthurian Legend, the Holy Grail is a mystical chalice or cup that is supposed to grant miracles." Ami reported, a font of wisdom as always.

"So what, it grants wishes or something?" Rei wondered, not liking the idea of something out there that rivaled the Ginzuishou's power "I can see why the Death Busters want it so bad then, but what about Uranus and Neptune?"

"Maybe they just don't want it ending up in the wrong hands?" Minako supposed, pressing a finger to her lips in thought only for Ami to shake her head.

"If that were the case, simply preventing the Daimon from extracting a Pure Heart Crystal would be enough." The bluenette pointed out "But Usagi saw them waiting for Makoto's Crystal to be taken before they moved, they obviously want the Talismans for a REASON."

"And we're back to square one." Rei sighed, slumping face first on the kotatsu, gripping her head "Man, as if entrance exams weren't hard enough!"

"I wonder what the reason could possibly be…" Luna wondered, the two Mau sitting in the center of the table "I mean, for it to be so bad to drive two Sailor Senshi to such extremes…"

"I think it has something to do with that question Caucasus-san posed to us." Ami pointed out, drawing the group's attention to her once again "Remember? The one about an Evil that couldn't be defeated using Just Means?"

"I remember…" Mars muttered, her brow furrowing in thought even as Usagi's eyes crossed in an effort to remember "Sounds like nonsense to me, I mean we're the GOOD guys, it's not like we're gonna do anything bad."

"I think that's the point." Ami noted, holding up a finger "We're the good guys, we've only the best intentions, but what happens when we come up against an opponent that we can't defeat by following the rules?"

"Break the rules?" Usagi wondered, the blonde blinking in sudden realization "Oh! You mean like cheating on the entrance exams?"

"Not exactly, but that's a good description." Ami sweatdropped, even as she shot the pigtailed blonde a disapproving frown "I was referring to more drastic methods, like how back during the world war, they executed POWs to keep them from escaping and reporting back to their comrades."

"But that's a WAR." Makoto pointed out, looking a little unsettled, Minako and Usagi shuddering at the visualization "This isn't a war, not if we can keep the enemy from getting Pure Heart Crystals."

"WE see it that way." Ami noted, her tone concerned "But for some reason, Uranus and Neptune are determined to locate the Talismans and the Holy Grail, even if it means resorting to tactics that, to US, seem abhorrent…" she shivered briefly "Makes me wonder just how bad the enemy we face truly is…"

* * *

_Elsewhere..._

"Bless you." C3 chuckled, the Golden Zecter hovering around her partner, as he'd just unleashed a tremendous sneeze that almost made him drop his phone "You okay?"

"No Daimon Activity…" Lelouch muttered, the former emperor sighing as he snapped his phone shut, sighing as he rubbed the bridge of his nose and sniffed "Damn…feels like I'm getting a cold."

"That's what you get for taking a swim in the harbor at night." C3 mocked, her tone teasing as she buzzed down to hover next to his ear "Should you really be out and about if you are?"

"I needed something to pass the time and there just happened to be a new gambling area open this morning." Lelouch countered, smirking as he reached into his jacket pocket, pulling out a thick wad of cash "That's me set for a while."

"You're a model citizen…" C3 shot back snidely, huffing in bemusement even as Lelouch stuffed the ill-gotten funds back out of sight, the former Emperor walking along with his hands in his pockets.

In between his patrols of the City, Lelouch frequently visited the numerous underground gambling halls, both to enjoy a nice game of cards and to draw attention to himself. After all, the local thugs didn't appreciate it when some foreign kid kept clearing their venues out, more often than not dragging him into the back to make an example of him, only to wind up under the Demon Emperor's thrall, not only ensuring a constant flow of income for the Rider, but also granting him access to the ciminal underworld's information network without getting his hands dirty.

"Hm?" he wondered, looking up in surprise to see a familiar head of blue hair walking past in the opposite direction 'Well if it isn't Mercury…' he wondered, marveling once again at how nobody had identified the Senshi yet. Seriously, how many timid Japanese girls were there with blue hair out there? And why did he feel like he'd just walked into something?

"She looks rather down." C3 noted, the golden Caucasus Zecter buzzing around her partner's head even as he tried to figure out why the hell he felt like someone was laughing at him "You should talk to her."

"Since when the hell did I become the Senshi's Psychiatrist?" Lelouch demanded, quirking a brow at the Zecter, only to snort as she simply buzzed at him in amusement before clearing his throat "Well isn't this a surprise?" he called out, smiling at the girl as she turned to face him "You're one of Usagi-san's friends, aren't you?"

"L-Lamperouge-san?" Ami stammered, looking up in surprise, Lelouch catching sight of the tears gathering at the corners of her eyes before she had a chance to wipe them away "Y-Yes, my name's Mizuno Ami."

"Pleasure to see you again, Mizuno-san." Lelouch greeted, eyeing the petite young woman in concern, giving her a quick once over with his eyes to check for injuries, or worse, signs of mishandling "Sorry if this comes off as forward, but are you alright?"

"Eh? Oh! Yes, I'm fine!" Ami assured him, the bluenette waving a hand defensively before her, having apparently noticed his look, a sad smile adorning her face as she glanced at the ground "Just…feeling a little down, that's all."

"Care to talk about it?" Lelouch asked, walking over and leaning against the railing of the bridge, his hands in his pocket a charming, wry smile on his face "That is, if you don't mind sharing with a stranger?"

"N-No…" Ami stammered, flushing cutely at his forwardness "It's nothing serious I assure you…I just…came to a realization about myself." She sighed, continuing at Lelouch's patient silence "Its just, compared to everyone else, the only thing I seem to be good at is studying."

"I don't see the problem with that." Lelouch admitted, looking confused as he leant against the railing, eyeing the girl carefully "I always thought dedication was something to be proud of."

"Well, yes…" Ami agreed, nodding her head in agreement "It's just that seems to be ALL I'm good at. All my other friends have something that sets them apart, like Rei-chan's Miko duties, Makoto-chan's strength and cooking, Minako-chan's skill at athletics and Usagi-chan's upbeat personality and ability to make friends easily." She looked down at the water below, a sad, teary-eyed smile on her face "Compared to them…I'm just a bookworm."

"That's not true." Lelouch countered, causing the girl to look at him in surprise, only to find his purple eyes boring into her own blue ones "True, you're good at studying, but that's simply because you applied yourself." He reached out and took one of her textbooks from her bag "I doubt many Junior-Highschool girls even think about applying themselves for something as complicated as a medical career." He opined, handing the book back to her for emphasis "One doesn't simply need brains to be a Doctor, it takes skill, talent, and above all, a desire to help others." He smiled at the girl "A noble profession no matter HOW you look at it."

* * *

Ami's POV...

"Lamperouge-san…" Ami stammered, her eyes wide with surprise, even as she felt her cheeks light up at the slew of complements. She wasn't used to men complimenting her, if anything, she was used to being ignored in favor of her friends, so having a handsome, FOREIGN teen like Lelouch say such things really had an effect on her.

"Yo." A familliar voice called out, the duo looking up to see Tennou Haruka walking towards them, the blonde cross dresser looking a little winded, but decidedly cheerful as she drew closer "Finally found you. Hey Lulu."

"Haruka-san?" Ami wondered, blinking at the tall blonde woman, even as Lelouch raised his hand in greeting "What's wrong? You look tired…"

"Been walking all over looking for you." The blonde admitted, a wry smirk on her face as she strolled over, the neck of her shirt open, revealing her lack of an Adam's apple to anyone who looked close enough "Michiru wanted me to pass on a challenge to you. She wants a rematch."

"Rematch?" Lelouch repeated, quirking a brow as he glanced between the cross-dressing blonde and the shy bluenette, who blushed at his expression "Did something happen?"

"Naw, just a little friendly competition." Haruka chuckled, waving a hand dismissively at the foreign teen "Michiru might not look it, but she takes all challenges seriously, so when Ami-chan here held back in their last race, she took it kinda personally."

"Most people would." Lelouch admitted, even as Ami looked at the ground, shame racing through her at having indirectly insulted the elder girl "Still, those that hold back may be doing so out of consideration for their opponent."

"I know that," Haruka admitted with a snort "And Michiru knows that, which is why she wants a rematch, and why I've spent the last hour or two walking around trying to find you…" she grimaced as she tapped her feet on the ground "Man, be glad to get my license back tomorrow."

"Want a lift?" Lelouch asked, the foreign teen nodding his head to where his ride was parked across the street "There's only room for one in the sidecar though, so you'll have to ride behind me."

"Haruka-san can have the side-car, Lelouch-san." Ami countered, earning a look of surprise from the pair "She's been walking around for so long, it's only fair she gets a chance to rest."

"See? That's what I mean about being considerate." Haruka chuckled, smiling gratefully at the bluenette, who flushed and lowered her eyes "I'll take you up on that offer, Ami-chan."

Ami blushed, the bluenette taking her place behind Lelouch as they mounted the bike, her arms wrapped around his chest as he took off down the road, never noticing the two felines watching them from up the street.

* * *

_Men's Changing room... _

"I don't see why I need to get changed too…" Lelouch muttered, the former emperor quirking a brow at Haruka as the blonde shoved a towel and a pair of goggles into his arms.

"Cause it's not fair that you get to see the girls in their suits if they can't see YOU." Haruka countered, smiling teasingly over her shoulder as she searched through the supply closet, looking for something the teen could wear.

"I don't see YOU getting changed." Lelouch noted wryly, quirking a brow at the cross-dresser's school uniform pointedly.

"That's different, I'M a girl." Haruka countered, her tone decidedly smug as she pulled out what looked suspiciously like a pair of Speedos for consideration "Besides, Michiru's not got anything I haven't seen before."

"I wouldn't let Mizuno-san hear that." Lelouch cautioned, his brow quirked as his lip twitched with mirth "She might get the wrong impression."

"Or the right one." Haruka snorted, discarding the Speedo's in favor of a pair of baggy shorts that looked a size too big, but otherwise decent, tossing it onto the pile before patting Lelouch on the back, HARD "Suit up quick Lulu, don't wanna miss all the fun right?"

"I swear she's got the STRENGTH of a man at any rate…" Lelouch muttered, wincing from his stinging shoulder as he watched the blonde walk off, only to snort to himself, turning towards the men's changing room to get ready.

"Mmmm…Nice shorts…" C3 noted, the Golden Zecter having snuck in while Haruka and Ami weren't watching "I don't think I've ever seen you without your clothes on."

"The fee's 1000 yen per minute." Lelouch mocked, earning a huff of amusement from the Zecter as he stashed his jacket in the locker, slowly shrugging out of his shirt, stuffing the whole lot into the locker, making sure to keep his key about his person as he stepped out of the changing room, his towel slung over his shoulders.

Had he stayed one second longer, he would've heard his cell phone's ring tone go off like a fire alarm.

* * *

_Poolside... _

"You see?" Michiru asked, the aquamarine haired woman smiling down at Ami as the younger girl panted against the side of the pool "Competing with all your strength isn't all that bad, is it?"

"Hai…" Ami agreed, smiling exhaustedly up at the elder girl, her blue eyes filled with satisfaction, having really pushed herself in their rematch. It turned out that Michiru HADN'T needed the handicap, as even giving it her all, the two of them had tied again.

"I wonder where Lulu got to?" Haruka wondered, the blonde quirking a brow as she came over with a towel just as Michiru was helping Ami out of the pool "I went to all that trouble to pick him out a pair of shorts too."

"Haruka…" Michiru sighed, shaking her head at the blonde's antics, even as Ami turned red at the idea of a man seeing her in her modest one-piece "You shouldn't tease people."

"I can't help it, it's just so much fun." Haruka chuckled, only to quirk a brow as the doors to the Swimming pool opened "What kept you Lulu? You missed one hell of a race-!"

"I'd have been here sooner if you'd told me WHICH pool you were swimming in." Lelouch muttered, only to trail off at their silence, blinking at the looks of shock that adorned their faces "What? Something on my face?"

"L-Lulu…" Haruka stammered, her eyes wide with shock as she gaped at the teen, or more accurately, at his chest "What the hell…?"

'Damn…' Lelouch muttered, recalling the wide, horizontal scar that was all that remained of the killing blow from when Suzaku ran him through 'Forgot about that…'

"A souvenir from an accident I had a while back." He lied, the fabrication coming easily, it really was second nature to him "Was lucky my ribs stopped the rest or I'd have been run through."

"How horrible…" Ami breathed, her hands clapped over her mouth as she stared at the wound, which rested just under his ribcage, stopping short of touching either side of his chest. Indeed, it looked like the kind of wound one would expect from being stabbed, but far too large to have been done by a knife or a nail.

"Must've been one HELL of an accident Lulu…" Haruka muttered, her tone nervous, though she was trying to laugh it off "It hurt much?"

"I sometimes forget it's even there." Lelouch admitted, which was true, since whatever T had done to him had healed all but the scar tissue on his skin, the rest of his body was perfectly fine.

"Well…thank heaven for small mercies." Michiru proclaimed, smiling at the teen as she slowly got over her own shock "You must have an angel watching over you."

"I somehow doubt that…" Lelouch joked, smirking wanly, even as he recalled the many, MANY sins he'd committed in his life "She'd be overworked if she did."

"Haruka can relate to that." Michiru noted, casting a bemused look at her partner, who chuckled despite herself "In any case, we need to get going, Classes in the morning an all." She smiled at Ami "Thank you again, Ami-chan, we'll have to do this again."

"H-Hai!" Ami stammered, recovering from her shock at the sight of Lelouch's scar to nod her head in agreement, the two elder girls moving to walk off, nodding to Lelouch in passing, though Lelouch noted their eyes trailed on his chest for the slightest of moments, flashes of pity in their gaze "Ano…Lamperouge-san…" the bluenette called out hesitantly, drawing Lelouch's attention back to her "I was thinking of taking another swim to relax…would you like to join me?"

"I'd be delighted." Lelouch admitted, smiling charmingly at the girl "I'll give you a lift home too, it's not safe for a young woman to walk the streets alone these days."

Ami blushed and turned to face the water, slipping into it even as Lelouch set his towel to the side, only to blink as a sudden burst of light filled the air. "What?" she cried out, looking around in alarm as the water swirled around her, like she was trapped in the middle of an ocean storm, a waterspout forming in the center, slowly reforming into a female figure 'A Daimon!'

* * *

_Lelouch's P.O.V..._

"Get out of the water!" Lelouch yelled, racing towards the side of the pool intent on dragging the bluenette out even as the water solidified, forming a feminine creature with grey, fish-scale like skin that could be seen thanks to her black one-piece bathing suit. Over this, she wore two inner tubes around her waist, and on her back rested an oxygen tank. Her head was covered in a yellow swimming cap with goggles, and a snorkel occupied her mouth, which was interfering with her ability to speak apparently.

"DOVLIN!" the Daimon called out triumphantly, having finally removed her Snorkel from her mouth in order to speak properly "I shall claim that Pure Heart of yours that has been clouded with Doubt!"

"Just try it!" Lelouch yelled, hurling his towel at the Daimon, blinding it for a few precious seconds that he needed to drag Ami out of the water "Come on!"

"No running on the side of the pool!" Dovlin called out, lashing out with her arms, a wave of water rising from the pool, slamming into the pair and separating them, sending Lelouch flying into a wall while Ami was slammed bodily against the glass of the reinforced windows overlooking the street below, only for the water around her to morph into some sort of gelatinous substance that held her in place.

"Lane 1! DOVLIN!" the Daimon grinned, yanking off her cap to reveal her Dark Star tattoo resting in the middle of her bald head like a pimple "Here I go!" she cried, charging the beam, sending it flying towards Ami's back, only to blink as another figure threw himself in front of it "What?"

"LAMPEROUGE-SAN?" Ami cried out, the girl looking on in horror as Lelouch shielded her with his back, the foreign teen's eyes grimacing from the impact, only to blink as Dovlin called off her attack.

"Move aside!" the Daimon yelled, blowing on a whistle like some sort of pool attendant that had caught kids misbehaving on her watch "Foreplay is not encouraged in the pool area!"

"I think I'm fine right where I am thank you." Lelouch countered, Ami blinking at the amused tone of voice as he smirked knowingly "The view's spectacular, if I do say so myself." He smiled at the flushing Ami "And the company's good too."

"Get out of my way!" Dovlin demanded, scowling at the teen as she gripped her flotation rings tightly "I've no interest in your heart!"

"No interest?" Lelouch repeated, his tone coy as he turned to face the Daimon "Are you sure it's not because you couldn't take my heart if you wanted to?"

"Lamperouge-san?" Ami wondered, blinking at the teen in confusion as best she could in her current position "What do you mean?"

"I noticed something strange about what it said:" Lelouch explained "When it first appeared, it claimed it was here for a 'Pure Heart weighed down with doubts'." He eyed the Daimon calculatingly "One would assume a monster wouldn't be picky about its meals. Unless of course it could ONLY extract the hearts of those burdened with doubts."

'Meaning she can't take anyone else's hearts!' Ami deduced, her eyes going wide at the discovery as she glanced at the Daimon 'That's why the Death Busters target certain people! Each Daimon has a pre-set target to acquire!'

"So what will you do, Daimon-san?" Lelouch called out mockingly standing with his back to Ami so she couldn't see his face "You could attack me, but considering our position, that could put your target in danger." He smirked "Then again, it's only a matter of time before the Sailor Senshi get here, they seem to have a knack for showing up in the nick of time."

Dovlin scowled, glaring heatedly at the pair, causing Ami's skin to crawl, only for the girl to blink as the Daimon smirked, turning her eyes to follow its gaze, the blue orbs widening in horror at the sight of a familiar, red-clad figure hovering outside the building.

"Lamperouge-san! Behind you!" she cried out, just as Kaolinite launched a blast of pure energy through the glass, the beam catching Lelouch, who'd spun round in alarm, right in the chest, sending him flying into the water of the pool, "NO-!" Ami cried, only to scream as Dovlin, obstruction removed, resumed where she'd left off.

* * *

_Underwater... _

'I'm alone…' Lelouch noted, his limbs strangely light, his eyes closed as if in sleep, the former emperor hovering limply in the void 'All alone…'

It wasn't the first time he'd had this dream, every time he went to sleep, it was to come face to face with the crushing, empty void that was neither oppressive nor uplifting, simply an absence of any form of stimulation. He suspected it might have something to do with being separated from the collective consciousness of C's world.

However, unlike before, when he would spend the entire dream in the darkness, a small, pinprick of light was visible on the horizon, growing ever closer.

'What?' he wondered, his eyes flinching open as he felt the warmth of the light on his face, his lips parting, only for his chest to HEAVE, water escaping from mouth as he retched, almost choking on the stuff as he felt strong, gentle hands help him sit up.

"Where?" he wondered, looking around in confusion, only to blink at the sight of Tuxedo Kamen and Sailor Moon, the former looking like he'd been caught in the rain and the latter eyeing him in relief as they squatted beside him "You two?"

"Thank goodness…" Sailor Moon sighed, looking over him in relief "I got here just as you were knocked in the water, if Tuxedo Kamen-sama hadn't pulled you out you would have drowned!"

"I think I almost did…" Lelouch admitted, the former emperor coughing as he dragged sweet gasps of air into his lungs, before turning to smirk at the tuxedo clad man "Thanks for the save."

"I only pulled you out of the water." Tuxedo Kamen admitted, nodding his head towards Ami, who was crouched nearby, hands over her heart with relief "Mizuno-san was the one who administered CPR."

"I…I took a training course as part of my medical studies…" the Bluenette admitted, looking down in embarrassment, clearly unused to being the centre of attention, only to blink as Lelouch took one of her hands in his.

"Well then it would seem we have a very capable future doctor on our hands…" he smiled at her "I envy all your future patients."

Sailor moon and Tuxedo Kamen couldn't help but smile as Ami's blush lit up the room.

* * *

And we'll leave off there.

My, Lulu certainly leads an interesting life.

C.C: 007's got nothing on him.

Kyugan: Unless we're talking Connery.

C.C: Well, that goes without saying.

Kyugan: Damn straight. As to the void Lulu sees, it's because he's no longer connected to C's world. Think about it, he essentially went to 'Heaven' after letting SuZero kill him, he found eternal peace in 'God's' embrace, and then some bastard brought him back to life.

C.C: Now he knows how 'I' feel.

Kyugan: In any case, other than Lulu being a tremendous flirt and giving Ami a much needed confidence boost, not to mention some new information to work on, not much changed about this ep. Maybe the next will offer more?


	16. Chapter 16

A little extra chapter, since the last one was pretty much filler, even if the events did happen in the anime.

C.C: At least you covered how Lulu's been building his powerbase.

Kyugan: Yes, he's turning into quite the little mafioso isn't he?

C.C: Hey, her turned Ohgi's band of mismfits into a global defense force, why would uniting the Yakuza clans be any different?

Kyugan: True, in any case, let's pick up where we left off!

* * *

Tied at the hip.

Within the Death Buster's secret lair, a wall of monitors flickered to life, bathing the normally darkened confines of the lab with soft, grainy light, illuminating the pale features of Kaolinite, the redhead standing with a hand on her hip as she watched the monitors flicker to life.

"The Five Sailor Senshi…" the Professor's voice called out, his tone laced with unmistakable contempt as the screens displayed each of the senshi in the middle of performing their signature attacks "And that unpredictable meddler Tuxedo Kamen…" the madman continued, the screen shifting to show the hero in question as he attacked with his cane and roses "Their continued interference is starting to become quite a nuisance to our plans."

"Yes, Professor." Kaolinite agreed, scowling at the faces of her enemies, one fist clenching as she recalled the numerous counts of failure she could accredit to them. Bad enough she had failed at ALL, but to lose to a bunch of magical cheerleaders? Quite frankly she was surprised the Professor hadn't simply carved her up for 'research purposes' yet.

"However, I am more concerned with those two mysterious Senshi, Uranus and Neptune." The professor announced, his tone taking on a note of suspicion as the screen changed to show the aforementioned Senshi standing back to back "Those two only seem to make an appearance whenever we attempt to secure a heart crystal. I am concerned that they may be actively hunting for the Talismans, as WE are."

"It would appear so, Professor." Kaolinite agreed, recalling countless instances where the two elder Senshi had actually kept Sailor Moon and her brats from interfering with the Daimon's attempts, though they preferred to simply wait in the shadows for the deed to be done. "They seem to have some understanding of what the talismans represent, however it would appear they lack the means to extract Heart Crystals on their own, or are reluctant to do so."

"More fool them." The Doctor scoffed, his tone decidedly mocking "They probably believe that by only investigating AFTER the fact, they are keeping their hands clean, when in truth, in allowing the deed to happen, they are just as guilty as we are."

"Fools indeed." Kaolinite agreed, marveling at her beloved's cool, inhuman logic, feeling a rush go through her at the thought that the damnable Sailor Senshi weren't as 'pristine' as they believed themselves to be. However, unlike the Inners, who were so dedicated to their 'Good Versus Evil' way of thinking, and thus easier to predict, Uranus and Neptune were unpredictable, as they weren't above getting their hands dirty if it meant getting the job done.

"We will need to deal with them soon." She voiced her thoughts aloud, confident that her beloved would agree with her "Thus far they seem reluctant to actually aid the other Senshi, but should they team up, it could ruin everything."

"All in good time…" the Professor noted, his tone patient, sending a shiver of pleasure through the redhead at his acknowledgement, even as the screens flickered again, this time displaying images of a familiar golden figure "And last, but certainly not least, we have that intriguing armored fellow, the 'Kamen Rider', that has been making a nuisance of himself."

Kaolinite scowled, gripping her side where the Rider's weapon had shot her. The wound had healed, but she'd forever have the mark of the burn on her once flawless skin.

"I must admit, I find his armor to be a most FASCINATING piece of technology." The Professor noted, the images shifting to show Caucasus in Masked Mode, Casting Off his outer armor, battling in Rider Mode and the Activation of his Rider Beat "MOST fascinating, I've never seen ANYTHING like it before."

"Surely you have SOME idea, professor?" Kaolinite asked, her tone imploring, even as she gazed hatefully up at the screens. Out of all their enemies, she hated the Rider most of all. The Senshi were a nuisance, but none of THEM had ever laid a finger on her, nor landed a blow that would mar her beauty in any permanent fashion.

"I am forced to admit I have NONE." The professor admitted, though he didn't sound too displeased by the admission, "It is truly a fascinating system." He noted, even as the screen depicted Caucasus activating his Clock Up "Not only does it boost his offensive capability, but he is also apparently capable of moving at speeds the eye cannot follow."

The screen's shifted, displaying numerous encounters between the Rider and the Daimons he had battled thus far. The Images were moving in slow motion, the Daimon literally moving at less than a frame per second, whereas Caucasus, the moment he slapped his hip, was moving normally. "Is that even possible…?" Kaolinite whispered, torn between fear and awe as she watched the Clocked Up Rider pound the stuffing out of the semi-immobile Daimon "To be able to move at such speeds…it shouldn't be physically possible!"

"And yet, he can do it…" the Professor noted, sounding like a kid let loose in a candy store with his parent's credit card "Ah Kaolinite, here is living proof that there is no such thing as 'IMPOSSIBLE' in the face of science!"

Kaolinite nodded, torn between her joy that her master was happy, and jealousy that it was because of the RIDER that he was so, rather than anything SHE had done.

"From what we can tell, the Rider does not seem to be hunting the Talismans." The professor noted, his tone calming down "Rather, he seems to be hunting US, if his claim of interrogating one of our Daimon is to be believed."

"It must be so." Kaolinite agreed "He knew all about our plans, our title, even my name and looks." She scowled slightly "I should have tried to determine the full extent of his knowledge, forgive me."

"Think nothing of it for now." The professor assured her "The fact he has yet to storm our headquarters, or worse, lead the Senshi here, is proof enough he has no idea where we're located." He chuckled as the images on the screen changed again "Also, from what I've determined, he seems to be at particular odds with Uranus and Neptune."

Kaolinite winced, unable to help the brief flash of sympathy as she watched the Rider pound the two Senshi into the ground, while Sailors Moon and Venus rode off with his bike to return the Heart Crystal.

"We can deal with Moon and her Senshi at a later date." The Professor mused dismissively, the images showing the Inners vanishing one by one "And until we can properly determine his motives, and a way to counteract his technology, I feel it would be wise to avoid the Rider unless he takes an active role in hunting for the talismans."

Kaolinite scowled, not liking that idea one bit, as she very much wanted to make the Golden Rider suffer for his transgressions. But her beloved knew best, and far be it from her to deny him anything.

"As such, I feel it would be in our best interests to concentrate on Uranus and Neptune for the moment." The Professor ordained, his tone commanding "Since they are targeting the Talismans as well, that means we can use our next Daimon attack to draw them out."

"Yes Professor." Kaolinite agreed, bowing at the waist and smiling up at the screens, which vanished to reveal the gloom of the lab once more "Rest assured, I shall PERSONALLY drag those two out of hiding and ANNIHILATE them before the day is through!"

* * *

_Play: Next Level_

The screen is obscured by translucent insect wings.

STANDBY!

C3 smashes through the wings, shattering them and revealing Lelouch riding the Side Bashaar.

Lelouch raises his right fist in the air, attaching onto his brace at an angle.

HENSHIN!

The camera circles Lelouch as his Armour covers him, images of the Senshi fading across the screen as the transformation finishes, revealing Kamen Rider Caucasus: Masked Form as he rides towards Juuban.

_Kimi ga negau koto nara..._

Caucasus rides through the streets of Juuban on Side Bashaar, strange crystal dust following in his wake.

_subete genjitsu ni naru n' darou_

As the dust passes, the tscene changes to Usagi, Makoto and Ami rushing to school, the blonde having overslept again.

_Erabareshi mono naraba_

_They run past Lelouch, who is walking the other way, a coy smirk on his lips._

_Bousou wo hajimeteru..._

Scene changes to a Shot of the Death Busters lab, where the Professor is show spreading his arms wide in dark laughter.

_Sekai wo moto ni modosu ni wa mahou_

Rei looks on in horror as she watches her vision of the oncomming 'Silence' destroying the world, reaching desperatly for the three lights as they fade away.

Jikan ga nai

A Golden light flies past her, the screen changing to reveal Lelouch walking down the street, a determined scowl on his face.

_MOVING FAST Kokoro no..._

Haruka is shown driving her car.

_Tokei ni hashirase..._

Michiru is seen lying face up in a pool, a worried expression on her face.

_Ashita no sono saki-e!_

Caucasus reaches for his Zector, turning the horns to face his wrist with a snap.

CAST OFF!

_Kimi no tonari tatakau tabi umarekawaru!_

Masked Caucasus' Silver Armour explodes off him, revealing the sleeker, golden armoured form of Kamen Rider Caucasus.

_Nani mieru SPEED koete 'ku MOTION_

The Translucent wings blurr across the screen, each time revealing a different Sailor Senshi launching their Trademark Attack.

_Ittai jibun igai __dare no tsuyosa..._

A small figure is seen holding her chest.

_shinjirareru!_

She looks up, only to be replaced by Caucasus, who slaps his hip, enterring the clock up state as he races towards the horizon, where Kaolinite and several shadowy figures can be seen, the Professor's shadow looming behind them all.

_Kousoku no VISION minogasu na..._

The Crystal dust blows past and the screen changes to show an image of Lelouch lying under a cherry tree, seemingly asleep, a small, content smile adorning his features in his slumber.

_Tsuite koreru nara..._

The translucent Insect wings cover the screen once more, obscuring Lelouch from view as the Caucasus Crest appears, a Crescent Moon Adorning the centre.

* * *

_End Opening Sequence..._

"Yo, Lulu." Haruka called out, the blonde Racer smiling as she walked up to where Michiru and Lelouch were waiting for her, having just finished first, naturally, in a motocross race "Glad you could make it."

"I see you're putting your license through its paces once again." Lelouch applauded, smiling at the woman as he leant against a trailer. The teen had been invited by the pair to come and watch the Motocross race that Haruka had entered as a guest. Apparently they had 'heard' about his 'incident' with the Daimon at the Sports Centre, and had wanted to bring him along, both to make up for leaving before it happened, and to help take his mind off it.

"Congratulations." Michiru offered, smiling as she handed the blonde a towel to wipe the sweat and grime from her face "Not that there was ever any doubt."

"But of course." Haruka scoffed, smiling confidently as she wiped her face, only to turn as an excited voice called out her name.

"Well now…" Lelouch greeted, smiling at the sight of the Inner Senshi, in civilian form, as they rounded the side of the trailer, Mamoru Chiba bringing up the rear "isn't this a pleasant surprise?"

"Ah! Lelouch-san!" Usagi greeted, looking shocked, albeit pleasantly so, at the sight of the foreign teen, even as Makoto and Ami blushed slightly "You came to see the race too?"

"We invited him along after hearing what happened at the Sports Centre." Michiru admitted, turning to look at Ami in concern, though she knew quite well that nothing had happened to the girl "Are you alright, Ami-chan? Were you hurt?"

"N-No, I'm fine." Ami assured the elder woman, smiling reassuringly at her concern, only to blush as she glanced towards Lelouch, averting her eyes so she was looking down at her feet modestly "L-Lamperouge-san protected me…"

"Not much protection I'm afraid." Lelouch admitted, rubbing the back of his neck with a self-mocking grin "If anything, I should be thanking YOU, Ami-san."

Ami blushed scarlet and hid her face behind a textbook, an UPSIDE DOWN textbook, the group sharing a small laugh at her expense, only to stiffen as three figures, bearing wrenches and other tools, bore down on Haruka, their bodies tense with anger. "Think you're so great, don't you?" one growled of them growled, pointing at Haruka, who grimaced, recognizing him as one of the losers from today's race.

"Do you know how embarrassing it is for us to lose to a woman like you?" another demanded, causing the senshi to frown, save for Ami, who looked concerned "Why don't you head back to the kitchen where you belong? This is a MAN'S sport!"

"Now there's an outdated concept." Lelouch snorted, cutting of Haruka's word of protest as he lance at the trio "To think that throwbacks like you would exist in this day and age."

"You shut your mouth GAIJIN!" the first one snapped, earning a gasp of shock from the inner Senshi, and a scowl of disapproval from Michiru, Haruka and Mamoru, the latter two who braced themselves in case the thugs started something "Bad enough Tennoh's a woman, but at least she's Japanese!"

"Sexist AND Racist to boot…" Lelouch noted, shaking his head in bemusement as he turned to wink at Haruka "All he needs is a uniform, a swastika and a little moustache, and we'd have ourselves a proper little Nazi."

"Don't you make fun of me you little punk!" the racer snarled, stepping forwards with his wrench raised over his head, only to pull up short as someone grabbed him by the wrist, halting his swing "Who-YAMADA-SAN!"

Lelouch quirked a brow, looking on with interest as the rest of the losers suddenly lost their desire to cause trouble in the face of this new arrival.

"If you guys want to get back at her, then win in the next race." The man, Yamada, ordered with a scowl, glaring pointedly at the would-be troublemakers, his gaze coming to rest on Haruka for a moment, not hostile, but not friendly either, the two of them nodding to one another before he turned on his heel and walked off, the rest of the racers shuffling after him, like dogs following their master's heels.

"Who was that?" Lelouch asked, his eyes never leaving the man's back, even as Usagi and the rest fussed over Haruka, much to the blonde's amusement.

"Yamada Katsutoshi." The aquamarine haired girl replied, her tone laced with respect as she watched the man leave "He's one of the better racers out there, giving his all each and every time regardless if he finishes first or not." She smiled briefly "Haruka really respects him a lot, because unlike the others, Yamada-san doesn't race for the glory or the recognition, but for the challenge."

"I can assume that the feeling is mutual?" Lelouch note, recalling the brief nod the two had shared before Yamada had walked off with the rest of the goon squad.

"Yes." Michiru nodded "Yamada isn't the kind of man that differentiates between genders when it comes to skill. He respects Haruka for her skills, and the challenge she provides."

'Sounds like the kind of guy that would have a Pure Heart…' Lelouch muttered, frowning slightly at the racer's retreating back, unaware that, at that very moment, Michiru and Haruka were thinking the same thing. "Excuse me a minute ladies." he called out, stepping away from the trailer with an embarrassed smile "Nature calls, I won't be long, so save me a seat, will you Michiru?"

"Alright." Michiru smiled, looking on as the teen walked off, before turning to Haruka, her features calm "I'll keep an eye on Yamada-san…you just focus on your races."

"You're a life-saver." Haruka offered, pecking Michiru on the cheek before pulling her helmet back on and moving off to the next race, the Aquamarine haired girl vanishing into the crowd within moments.

* * *

_Later..._

"He's a dedicated one…" Caucasus marveled, the Rider sitting astride the Side-Bashaar in Masked Mode, watching as Yamada rode his bike across a rough terrain, coming to a halt atop a nearby waterfall "I can see why Haruka respects him so much.'

"Certainly makes YOUR riding skills seem nonexistent, doesn't he?" C3 noted teasingly, earning a snort from the Rider, only for them to turn as a startled gasp, almost unnoticeable, sounded from the side "Who's there?"

"It's me, Caucasus-san." A voice called out, Sailor Neptune stepping out of the foliage with her hands raised neutrally in the air, a small, surprised smile on her face as she approached the Rider "I certainly never expected to see YOU here."

"Feeling's mutual." Caucasus admitted, though his tone was amused "I certainly didn't expect to see you without Uranus again, or is she trying to sneak behind me in case I try something untoward?"

"Perhaps." Neptune supposed, her tone teasing as she lowered her arms, a small smile adorning her features as she walked up to the Side-Bashaar, her arms crossed as she gazed down at Yamada "So, how long have you been watching him?"

"I heard a rumor that he's a pretty dedicated guy when it comes to Motocross." Caucasus admitted, earning a quirked brow from the Senshi "So far the Death Buster's have been targeting people with such traits, so I figured it couldn't hurt to scope him out for a day."

"At least it gets you out in the fresh air." Neptune admitted, smiling as she glanced at the Rider's Masked Form "Or as close to it as you can get I suppose."

"I'll take my armor off if you do the same." Caucasus shot back, only to chuckle as the Senshi slapped him on the shoulder, a frown on her face, though it was ruined by the quirk of her lips "Though considering this thing has two layers, maybe we better wait till Uranus gets here to even things out."

"That mouth of yours is going to get you into trouble one day." Neptune mused, though she had to admit, the Rider was surprisingly easy to talk to for someone who was covered in armor. She may be attracted to women, but that didn't mean she couldn't notice the men around her, and while she had no inkling as to who he was, the mystery just made him all the more intriguing to her.

'Haruka's right,' she mused, shaking her head with a sigh 'the one man that catches my interest and we don't even know if he IS a man under there, voice changer technology isn't THAT uncommon.'

"Heads up." Caucasus called out, snapping the Senshi out of her daze as he tilted his head towards the waterfall "Skanky redhead at Six O'clock."

"I see her…" Uranus muttered, scowling at Kaolinite as the woman launched a Daimon Seed at Yamada's bike "So they WERE targeting him…your source must be very well informed."

"You could say that…" Caucasus admitted, smirking beneath his helmet as he raised a black and golden phone, converting it to a firearm with a few swift movements, even as Neptune called Uranus for backup "I'll get the target to safety, that is, if you don't mind taking first swing at the Daimon?"

"Such a gentleman." Neptune applauded, smiling at the Rider before raising her hands over her head, her features settling into a mild frown as she focused on her target "And I'll take you up on that offer."

* * *

_With Kaolinite... _

"TIREN!" the Daimon snarled, standing over the terrified form of Yamada, who was looking mildly traumatized. Understandable really, as only seconds before he'd been sitting on his bike, mentally prepping himself for the next race, when all of a sudden it started jerking wildly beneath him, bursting at the seams with some kind of energy, the motocross rider barely managing to tumble off the machine before it morphed into a naked, feminine creature with black, tar-like skin and white hair. Headlights were strategically placed over its breasts, and a large tire sat in the middle of its stomach, giving it an almost pregnant appearance.

"TIREN!" the monster cried, parting the fringe of her hair to reveal her Dark Star Tattoo, Yamada's cries of agony kicking off as his Pure Heart Crystal was forced out of his body.

"Alright, Tiren." Kaolinite smiled, the redhead nodding in approval as she hovered in mid-air, arms crossed beneath her breasts "You know what to do next."

Tiren smirked, stepping towards the downed Motocross rider, intent on harvesting his Pure Heart Crystal, only to yelp as a surge of water rushed past her, missing her by scant inches.

"Gracefully guided by the New Era: Sailor Uranus!" a familiar voice called out, Kaolinite smirking as she espied one of her targets standing off to the side, her hands raised above her head as she summoned another sphere of water "DEEP SUMBERGE!"

Tiren screamed, her body jerking in the face of Neptune's attack, allowing the aquamarine Senshi to rush up and check the heart crystal she'd dropped. "This isn't a talisman either…" she sighed, both in regret and relief, for while the search for the talismans went on, at the very least, Haruka's rival wouldn't have to be sacrificed.

"I've been waiting for you! Sailor Neptune!" Kaolinite called out, the redhead appearing overhead with a burst of red, her hand raised mocking to her lips as she laughed deviously "Or perhaps it would be better to say WE'VE been waiting for you!"

Neptune blinked, looking on in alarm as Tiren, whom she'd assumed to be destroyed, got to her feet with a cry of "DOUBLE TIREN!", the Daimon spinning on her heels, only to come to a halt, having somehow managed to duplicate herself.

"Damn!" Neptune swore, getting to her feet, ready yo shield Yamada as he ran for it, only for the Daimon to back-flip, transforming into a set of wheels with their faces on the front despite all logic, before racing towards her "You won't get past me!"

"They don't need to." Kaolinite called out smirking down at the aquamarine Senshi even as the Tiren Twins encircled Neptune "I could care less if that fool's heart has a Talisman, what we're after is YOU, and that pretty partner of yours!"

"A trap?" Neptune muttered aloud, grimacing at the idea, only to curse as hre limbs were bound to her side, realizing far to late that Daimon weren't simply encircling her, the two were actually wrapping some sort of rope around her. Before she could attempt to break free, the rope tightened, slamming her bodily into a tree-trunk, knocking her out even as she was secured to it by the twins, which hissed at her hungrily.

"Neptune!" a voice called out, the Daimon halting in their tracks, whipping round to see Sailor Uranus racing towards them, her face like a thundercloud "Dammit Get away from her!"

"Huh, so Sailor Uranus is here too..." Kaolinite noted, her tone surprised, but not unduly so, if anything she considered this a bonus "How fortunate, you can die together!"

* * *

_Uranus' P.O.V..._

"Not gonna happen!" Uranus declared, the blonde Senshi rushing forwards, only to be forced to back away as a result of Tiren's two pronged attack. 'Dammit!' she cursed, leaping onto a ledge in order to get some breathing space 'If Neptune were free we could focus on one each.' her eyes narrowed at the Tiren Twins in anger 'Handling two at the same time's not gonna be easy...'

"That's far enough, Sailor Uranus!" Kaolinite called out, the redhead having teleported down to ground level, standing next to the tree Neptune was tied to with her arms crossed beneath her breasts, smirking confidently as she revealed the wicked looking knife she held in her left hand "If you resist any further, your partner's life is forfeit!" she pointed out, laughing mockingly at the blonde Senshi as she held the knife to Neptune's exposed neck.

"Damn...!" Uranus swore, grimacing at the sight of her partner at the redhead's non-existent mercy, Kaolinite laughing maniacally at her apparent victory, only to blink as a golden discus of magical energy lashed out of the surrounding woodlands, cutting Neptune free. "Who the-?" Uranus wondered, blinking in confusion as she turned to follow the discus as it returned to it's source, only to blink at the sight of her unexpected ally "Sailor Moon?"

"I cannot allow such an unfair thing to happen!" the younger blonde proclaimed, her arms crossed before her as she stared down at Kaolinite accusingly "Battles should be fought fair and square! I may not be allied with either of you, but I won't allow such unfair tactics!"

"You should have minded your own business brat!" Kaolinite snarled, cursing herself for letting Neptune slip through her clutches "Tiren! Get her!"

"DOUBLE TIREN!" the Daimon called out, transforming into their tire forms again and racing towards the Senshi, who braced themselves, Moon looking decidedly alarmed at the oncoming threat, only for the Daimon pair to cry out in alarm as several pieces of high speed metal slammed into them.

"Who-!" Kaolinite demanded, the redhead's eyes widening in alarm, only to choke as an armored arm wrapped around her neck from behind, a similarly armored hand grabbing the hand which held the knife and twisting it until she let go.

"Caucasus-san!" Sailor moon exclaimed, the leader of the inner Senshi's eyes widening in relief at the sight of the Rider holding the redhead in place with a standard police hold "When did YOU get here?"

"Dammit! Kaolinite snarled, struggling in the Rider's hold, having not expected him to lend his assistance, considering his supposed enmity with the outers "Why are you helping them? I thought you were enemies?"

"Not really..." Caucasus countered, his tone indifferent as he held onto the struggling older woman with minimal effort "I just like THEM a lot more than I like YOU." he snorted mockingly "For one thing, they're better dressed."

"DAMN YOU!" Kaolinite swore, her hair, of all things, lashing out, wrapping around the Rider, lifting him off his feet and HURLING him away from her, though not without firing a few shots at her with his phone-gun "TIREN! FINISH THEM OFF!" she snarled, before vanishing in a flash of scarlet.

"I hate it when they cut and run..." Caucasus muttered, snorting as he pulled himself to his feet with a little help from Neptune, who smiled in agreement.

"Feeling's mutual Gold-Bug." Uranus snorted, smirking at the Rider as she turned to face the nervous Daimon, cracking her knuckles. "You want in on this one, Moon?"

"Clock Up!" Caucasus declared, slapping his waist and vanishing from view even as Sailor Moon pulled out her Spiral Heart Moon Rod, reappearing behind the nervous Tiren Twins as Uranus and Neptune charged their own attacks "Rider Kick!"

"RIDER BEAT!" the Caucasus Zecter declared, the Rider delivering a spinning kick to the now terrified Daimon, sending them crashing into a triple Senshi attack, their screams of "LOVELY~!" echoing over in the mountain air.

"YATTA~!" Moon cheered, the Senshi literally jumping in the air for joy, her Spiral Moon Heart Wand held over her head as she watched the dust from the resulting explosion settle "We did it!"

"That we did..." Uranus agreed, the elder Senshi smiling as she pecked the younger blonde on the cheek, before walking off with Neptune, who looked torn between amusement and annoyance "Thanks for the assist, see ya, Gold-Bug."

"Mataku..."Caucasus sighed, the Rider shaking his head as the two leapt off, leaving him with a flushing Moon holding her cheek and sputtering incoherently "That woman is incorrigible..."

* * *

And we'll leave off there.

C.C: Something tells me Haruka and Milly would get along just fine.

Kyugan: They would, wouldn't they?

Lelouch: Perverts...why are all the blondes I know Perverts?

Kyugan: Oh come now, you're overexagerating.

Lelouch: Milly, Rakshata, Gino, Haruka, Minako, Usagi.

C.C: Alright we get it...wait, why Usagi?

Lelouch: She has strange dreams involving food and the man she loves that cause her to drool. If that's not perverted I don't care to know what is.

Kyugan: That's...mildly disturbing...and yet strangely amusing at the same time. In any case, this should make up the action quota that was missing in the last chapter. Stay tuned for more!


	17. Chapter 17

A little earlier because I had it ready. Those of you that can see the new plot elements, give yourselves a pat on the back.

* * *

Heart Strings…

At the Hikawa shrine, all was silent save the rustling of the wind, and the muted chants of a sutra being recited in the chamber where the Sacred Flame burned.

Rei sat before the flame, her head bowed in prayer, occasionally tossing a charm into the flames in a bid to divine the portents of the ominous dream that had been bothering her for some time now.

'Every night it's the same…' she muttered, gazing into the flames with a focused intensity that rivaled their own 'The Silence advances, the three lights abandon us, the Golden Figure' which she now knew was Caucasus 'intervenes, but does not destroy the Silence, merely holds it at bay…what does it all MEAN?'

Unbeknownst to Rei, she was not as alone in her meditation as she thought she was, as the door to the room was open ajar, allowing Kumada Yuichiro, the Temple's live-in attendant/dogs-body, to peer in at the Miko in concern.

'Rei-san…' he wondered, peering at the beautiful girl through his bangs, which permanently obscured his eyes from view. A self-proclaimed 'struggling musician', Yuichiro was actually the heir to a wealthy family, but was considered a bit of a black sheep as he didn't want to take up the family business, claiming he wanted to become a musician. He'd ended up staying at the Hikawa shrine by accident, and as a result, was forced to work day and night for his lodgings and food.

But the reason he stayed was for Rei, from the moment he'd laid eyes on her, he'd known, more than anything else in the world, he'd wanted to be with her, even if it meant sticking to the background, being little more than a 'errand boy' from time to time.

'Things must be getting really bad if she's spending every evening in front of the fire…' he muttered, recalling how tired the girl was in the mornings 'I wonder if it's got something to do with that tree that was uprooted a while ago?'

Like everyone else who frequented the shrine, Yuichiro had been shocked to learn that one of the trees used to tie fortunes to had been uprooted, and apparently EXPLODED, without anyone being the wiser. Rei had supposedly been with her friends studying at the time, and Hr. Hino, her grandfather, had been off teaching one of his self-defense classes at the women's club again, dragging Yuichiro along as a 'training dummy'.

Naturally, when they'd gotten back and seen the tree, the old man had gone on a warpath, jumping to the conclusion of 'evil spirits' being on the property, spending an entire week reinforcing the sutras and protective charms that littered the temple.

Normally, people would assume it was merely the ranting of a senile old priest with too much time on his hands. But Yuichiro had seen the things Mr. Hino could do with the deceptively flimsy pieces of paper, and knew FAR better than to think such things.

It didn't stop him from trying to get the high school girls to join the temple as shrine maidens though.

"Yuichiro…" a spooky voice called out, the teen tensing, turning around slowly, only to jump at the sight of Rei's grandfather standing behind him, a candle lighting up his wrinkled features like some sort of demon, causing the poor man to cry out in alarm, clapping his hands over his mouth almost instantly, looking into the room to see if Rei had heard, only to sigh in relief as she continued her chanting.

"Quite the jumpy youngster aren't you?" the old priest snickered, peering at the younger man in amusement "Just what could a young man with as many worries as you be peering at so intently this late at night?"

"I-It's not like that at all!" the long-haired man countered, waving his hand defensively before him, amazed once again by the old man's ability to see through anything that wasn't a pretty face "I'm just worried about Rei-san's health, that's all!"

Rei's grandfather sighed, peering into the room, where his daughter's child was peering intently into the flames "Hmm. She's been doing the same thing almost every night for a while now…and some mornings as well now that I mention it…" he shook his head, only to smile at the younger man cheerfully "Oh well, it's not like Rei-chan would listen to us if we told er to stop, she's like her mother in that regard."

Yuichiro blinked, having heard tell of Rei's mother, the daughter of the current Shrine head, who'd apparently married a politician, through speaking with the shrine visitors. The woman had died while Rei was small, and neither Rei nor her Grandfather liked to talk about it, even LESS than they wanted to talk about the girl's husband, who as far as Yuichiro knew, had nothing to do with his only child.

"I may not know what Rei-chan is trying to see…" the elder Hino noted, holding up a finger for emphasis as he smiled up at the younger man "but one thing is certain: we must respect her wishes and let her continue until she's satisfied." He nodded as he moved to walk past the younger man "After all, 'Throughout Heaven and Earth, I am my own Master!' as the saying goes."

Yuichiro blinked, looking on as the old man stepped deeper into the darkness, before turning round to gaze into the room once more, heedless of the knowing smile on the old priest's face.

'He's a keeper alright.' The elder Hino noted, chuckling to himself as he returned to his chambers for the evening 'Rei-chan can be so blind sometimes…she certainly didn't get THAT from her mother!'

* * *

_Death Buster's lab... _

"Glorious…" the Professor declared, his Slasher smile in place as he rubbed the recently created Daimon Seed against his cheek, cradling it in his hands as if it were his own newborn child, which in a sense it was "This is the ultimate creation of chemistry!"

"Indeed, truly a living work of art." Kaolinite agreed, the redhead standing several feet behind her beloved master, dressed in her white lab coat over her usual attire, as was the norm whenever she was in his presence.

"Exactly!" The Professor proclaimed, turning round and grinning at the redhead, even as the darkness concealed his features "A living, breathing, work of art! The culmination of all my blood sweat and tears!" His grin faded, replaced with a scowl that was almost petulant, yet by no means reduced the anger in his posture "But so far, Kaolinite, you've done nothing but waste every Daimon seed I entrust to you!" he was so incensed he actually threw the Daimon Seed into the air as he shook his fists in rage "Every! Single! TIME!"

"Please calm yourself, Professor." Kaolinite begged the man, her tone soothing, as if trying to calm a ranting child "All of my plans, which are based on precise calculations and perfect harmony, can also be considered a form of art." She explained, holding up a beaker to catch the Daimon Seed as it fell "Until now I have faced interruptions that have been outside my calculations." She admitted, resisting the urge to scowl as a certain Golden anomaly flashed before her eyes, the scar on her flank twitching at her anger as she placed a lid on the container "This time, I have taken all possibilities into account, rest assured, I SHALL find the talismans that will lead us to the Holy Grail."

"That's right," the Professor chuckled, his Slasher smile returning full force as his body shook from the ominous laughter "The power to end the world, heralding the arrival of darkness, the power to destroy everything!" he spread his arms wide and cackled, only to turn, his spine contorting almost impossibly as he pointed at the woman "But we are quickly approaching the time limit, go quickly, Kaolinite."

"As you wish." Kaolinite acknowledged, bowing slightly towards her master, before vanishing in a flash of red, the Professor's laughter at her heels as her lab-coat fell to the floor.

* * *

_Juuban, the next day... _

"Damn…" Lelouch muttered, the former emperor scowling as he pulled up next to a street, scowling down at his cell phone as the beacon cut out "No doubt about it…a Daimon seed was planted here somewhere."

"Such a bother…" C3 sighed, the Caucasus Zecter buzzing around, seemingly unconcerned with drawing attention to herself "The radar has its limits I suppose."

"It's more of an early warning system than anything else…" Lelouch countered, stuffing the device into his jacket pocket "Still, it's hard for me to cover the entire damn city by myself." He slapped the 'fuel tank' of the Side Bashaar with a snort "If this thing ran on gas I'd be bankrupt."

"Oh you'd make that kind of money back in a day you miser." C3 muttered, buzzing around his head in amusement. After living out of the abandoned mansion for so long, Lelouch had finally been forced to move out when the developers came along, slipping off unseen as they commenced the dismantling of their modest little home.

As annoying as it had been, the building had served its purpose, as Lelouch's gambling activities had by that point earned him a tidy little sum, one that he was determined to keep developing, the first step to which involved opening an investment account in the local bank.

Naturally, he used his Geass in order to speed things up a bit, not to mention making sure he got a good deal, at an impressive, though not unheard of, rate of interest, even going so far as to sign up for an online Monthly Bank Statement, in order to avoid dealing with the postal service. Last thing he needed was someone tracking down his address through the post in the foreseeable future.

"Well now, isn't that Haruka up ahead?" C3 wondered, drawing the teen's attention to a couple that were conversing across the street, the former emperor recognizing the tall, cross-dressing blonde almost instantly, only to quirk a brow when he realized that the girl she was chatting with WASN'T Michiru, but rather Hino Rei, otherwise known as Sailor Mars "You think she's trying to sweep her off her feet?"

"I wouldn't put it past her." Lelouch admitted, snorting as he eyed the pair, shaking his head in bemusement as Haruka caused the priestess/fire senshi to flush "She's as bad as Milly." He swore, recalling his childhood friend with a smile, only to blink as he espied a shaggy looking man in priest's robes gaping at the pair, looking distraught, only to turn on his heel and lurch off in the opposite direction, swaying like a drunk, leaving his grocery bag lying in the street "The hell?"

* * *

_Later that night... _

'Dammit…' Yuichiro swore, the shaggy haired young man running full tilt down the moonlit streets, desperate to burn off his frustrations with heavy exercise 'Who the hell was that guy with Rei-san?'

Yuichiro wasn't stupid, he knew that a young woman like Rei would let her eyes wander, especially whenever it came to cute guys like the one she used to date, Mamoru Chiba, though that had been more of a friendship thing. Hell, Yuichiro KNEW Mamoru, he was a regular at the shrine, usually in the company of his girlfriend, Usagi, and a straight-up guy to talk to.

But the young man, the BISHOUNEN, that he'd seen Rei chatting with the other day, he'd never seen before in his life. He didn't think it was POSSIBLE for a man to look that pretty.

'Could he be…her boyfriend?' he wondered, running cold water from a tap in the fountain over his head to cool down, only to dismiss such an idea, knowing full well the warpath her Grandfather would go on if he caught wind of such antics 'Who is he then? How long have they known each other?'

As he was preparing to run off again, the sound of someone playing a violin stopped him, the shaggy haired man unable to tear himself away from the beautiful music. He may have been an aspiring guitarist, but he could appreciate the classics too, and even the most tone-deaf rocker couldn't have denied the sound of those strings were heavenly.

Following the sound of the music, peering from behind a tree to see a beautiful, aquamarine haired woman playing on a stage, the full moon shining on her skin, like something out of a fantasy.

"Beautiful…" he breathed, and not entirely from the music, only to blink as a familiar face, the same face he'd seen flirting with Rei, walked up behind the woman, prompting her to stop playing as they conversed together.

'They now each other?' he wondered, keeping behind the tree to avoid being spotted, though naturally, this meant he was too far away to hear them. Though that mattered little, as he could tell from the way they acted around one another that these two were most definitely 'together', in the same way he wished he and Rei could be together.

'That Rat-Bastard Bishounen's two-timing Rei-san!' he snarled, his fist clenching as he thumped it against the trunk of the tree, teeth clenching in anger at the idea of some stuck-up pretty boy two-timing a girl as wonderful as Rei, even if it WAS with a woman as fine as the violinist 'I'll KILL HIM!"

* * *

_The next day... _

"They're learning…" Lelouch muttered, quirking a brow, impressed despite himself as he examined the railway tracks above him "Planting the Daimon-seed on the train…an ingenious move, looks like they're getting serious at last."

"How can you tell it's on the train?" C3 asked, the Zecter buzzing irritable as it shook rainwater of its armored shell "And did we have to come while it was raining?"

"I can tell because the signal cut out right over the tracks." Lelouch replied, bringing out his phone, heedless of the pouring rain, as he was wearing his coat and helmet "By hacking into the security camera network, I was able to determine that the Train passed through here at the very second the signal cut out."

"But why target a TRAIN?" C3 wondered offhandedly "Daimon can only target specific hearts right? Finding one with so many passengers would be like finding a needle in a haystack."

"By using the rail system, the train can cover a lot of ground without drawing undue attention to itself." Lelouch replied, his tone almost approving, as he'd used a similar tactic himself back in the day "This means it can locate its assigned target faster, and MORE of them while we're at it."

"Clever…" C3 admitted, only to hide herself inside Lelouch's collar as a familiar face walked past, an umbrella held in one hand.

"Yo, Lulu." The cross-dresser called out, smiling roguishly at the elder teen as she drew closer, dressed in her men's uniform without the blazer for once "Surprised to see you out in this."

"I was out for a drive." Lelouch admitted, not even reacting to the nickname as he tilted his head to the Side-Bashaar, which was parked nearby "Though I could say the same for you. Miserable weather for a walk isn't it?"

"I just came back from a challenge…" Haruka admitted, a bemused expression on her face as she shook her head "Some wash-out with a chip on his shoulder called me out to an abandoned lot to challenge me to a fight…seriously, who does that these days?"

"Foreigner, remember?" Lelouch reminded the cross-dressing woman, the two of them shaking their heads in bemusement "So what happened next?"

"Well, I didn't feel like scrapping in the rain, hell I'd never seen the guy before in my LIFE, but he just kept coming at me until Rei-san showed up…"

"Wait…" Lelouch muttered, quirking a brow, intrigued by the revelation "Tall guy, long hair, stubble on his chin, dressed in Shinto priest robes?"

"All in one except the robes." Haruka admitted with a nod, quirking her own brow at the former emperor at the apt descriptions "You know him?"

"Saw him staggering off after watching you and Rei chat it up the other day." Lelouch admitted, snorting in bemusement as he recalled the scene "Was so dazed he forgot his groceries…best meal I had all day." He eyed the cross dresser "I'm guessing this was a case of 'Mistaken Gender' then?"

"That and jumping to conclusions." Haruka sighed, shaking her head "He thought I was two-timing Rei with Michiru." She snorted "Do I LOOK suicidal?"

"Not really, though you look pretty stupid going around in the rain without a coat." Lelouch pointed out, shrugging out of his own, revealing his sleeveless black tank-top, holding it out to the woman "Here, put it on."

"I'm fine." Haruka insisted, only to sneeze sharply, grumbling to herself as she took the proffered jacket under Lelouch's quirked brow "Ugh…damn rain…hope Rei and that idiot got clear before it came down."

* * *

_Hikawa shrine... _

"This is rather sudden…" elder Hino muttered, looking up at Yuichiro in concern, as the teen made to pack his duffle bag and leave "You're certain you can't stay longer?"

"I'm sorry…" Yuichiro countered, shaking his head in denial as he stuffed his meager belongings back into the bag "But if I stay here longer, it'll only cause problems."

The elder Hino frowned, eyeing the emotional young man before him carefully, only to nod, smiling as he pulled something from behind his back "In that case, I want you to have this…"

"Huh?" Yuichiro wondered, blinking as Rei's grandfather handed him a small, ancient paper box, which was covered in sutras "What is this?"

"Open it up." The elder Hino insisted, smiling as the shaggy haired young man did so, lifting out what appeared to be an ornate brace with an Oni's head "That brace is one of the treasures of this temple, it's said a powerful to have come from a powerful Oni."

"An Oni?" Yuichiro repeated, blinking in surprise. Unlike demons, Oni were considered neutral creatures, neither bad nor good, who sometimes helped people, and other times caused disaster to strike.

"Indeed…" Rei's grandfather revealed "Legend has it that the Oni appeared to rescue a shrine Maiden that came under assault from demons. His fury was so great that he slaughtered them all without remorse, his roar so fierce, it is said it crushed his opponent's insides to powder!"

"Sugoi…!" Yuichiro breathed, looking down at the brace in amazement "But then, why do YOU have the brace sir?"

"Well, story has it that the Shrine Maiden was so taken with the Oni that she asked him to marry her." The elder Hino revealed, chuckling at the younger man's look of shock "Not exactly a normal match-up, huh?"

"No kidding…" Yuichiro muttered, wondering just how on earth such a thing could have happened, only to blink "Wait, does that mean?"

"Who knows?" Hino snorted, shrugging offhandedly "It was centuries ago, back before the Sengoku era, more than likely it's simply a story told by old codgers to scare impressionable young folk." He snickered at Yuichiro's flush "However, that bracelet is VERY old, and there are powerful protective charms on it, which is why I'd like you to take it with you." He held up a hand for silence "At the very least, it will give you a reason to return one day."

"Hino-san…" Yuichiro muttered, looking awestruck by the old man's kindness, only to nod, fastening the brace around his wrist before picking up his bag and walking out of the temple, never looking back.

"Poor young, love struck fool…" Hino sighed, shaking his head, only to turn to a figure that was resting on a tree branch nearby "Follow him, would you?"

* * *

_Juuban train station..._

"Weird looking thing…" Yuichiro muttered, eyeing the brace around his wrist, marveling at the intricacy of the metalwork "Kinda cool though."

Sighing to himself, Rei's one-time suitor shook his head, looking up in time to see the train out of Juuban headed for the station, stepping towards the platform as it pulled up, moving to step into it, only to pause as a sudden, strange noised filled the air.

'Sounds like…guitar strings?' he wondered, blinking in confusion as he looked around, only to glance down at his wrist, eyes widening as he realized the strumming was coming from the bracelet "What the-?"

"Yuichiro!" a voice called out, the teen looking up to see Rei, who he'd walked past without a word at the temple, racing towards him desperately "Wait!"

"Rei-san?" the young man wondered, hope filling his heart as he turned to face the girl he loved, HAD loved for so long, only to recoil in alarm as the train started to glow the moment his hand brushed against the side, the young man looking on in alarm as the entire train rose off the tracks, the terrified conductor making a flying leap out of the front just before the entire thing started to shift and mutating into a female form, with deep yellow eyes set in a pale green face framed with pink hair.

The Daimon, for indeed it was one, wore a well-cut female conductor's uniform with train wheels on her wrists and ankles, which coupled with her suggestive pose, lying on her side in mid-air, with a whistle between her lips, presented a VERY enticing image.

"TODEN!" the Daimon called out, her tone girlish and high as she struck a pose, smiling at Yuichiro suggestively around her whistle "All passengers please get aboard!"

"M-Monster!" Yuichiro stammered, backing away from the platform in alarm, only to blink as he bumped into someone, turning to find an intimidating, if seductively dressed, redhead hovering in the air behind him.

"We finally found one…" the redhead noted, smiling down at the stunned young man before her with a smile that was as evil as it was enticing "Toden!" she called out, addressing her minion "Take his Pure Heart that Loves Another!"

* * *

And we'll leave off there.

C.C: You like doing that far too much.

Kyugan: It works doesn't it?

C.C: True...still, what's this now?

Kyugan: Not telling. Tune in next time to find out!


	18. Chapter 18

A little treat, because I know you hate Cliffhangers.

Also, consider it a little 'thank you' to Kamen Rider Chrome for his helpful, encouraging review of the previous Chapter.

To KRC: Thank you, as on of my inspirations when it comes to all things Kamen Rider (the other being your partner, Ten-Faced-Paladin), it really means a lot to get a review from either of you. And yes, as you suspected, this WAS influenced by TFP's Kamen Moon Rider, though I'd like to think I haven't plagiarised his work. If I have, I apologize, and will make corrections as he, or you cting as proxy, see fit.

I also pray that whatever issues TFP might be facing resolve themselves soon, and eagerly anticipate any updates and future works the pair of you put out.

That said, here's the latest chapter in the story. How will Yuuichiro survive his first encounter wit the Death Busters?

* * *

Roaring Thunder.

"We finally found one…" Kaolinite noted, the redhead smiling down at the stunned young man before her with a smile that was as evil as it was enticing "Toden!" she called out, addressing her minion "Take his Pure Heart that Loves Another!"

"Okay!" the Daimon called out, smiling teasingly as she put her arms behind her head, a pose that not only pushed her bust out, but also revealed the Black Star Tattoo on the underside of her arm, dark energy crackling from the mark as she launched the heart-snatching beam at he target "ALL ABOARD!"

"Damn!" Yuichiro yelled, bringing his arms up to shield himself, not knowing that such a thing would be useless against the beam, flinching as the beam struck, only to blink as it seemed to bounce off some sort of shield.

"What the hell?" Kaolinite exclaimed, the redhead's confident smile faltering as she stared at the latest Pure Heart target in confusion "How did he do that? NOTHING can block the Heart Snatching Ray!"

"Hold it right there Kaolinite!" a voice called out, the trio looking up to see Sailor Mars perched on top of the Train house station "I will not allow you to steal that man's Pure Heart filled with love!"

"Only room for one!" Toden called out, the pinkette blowing on her whistle as she lashed out with a handcuff, grabbing the startled Sailor Mars and slamming her into a far wall "ALL ABOARD!" the Daimon shrilled, blowing on her whistle as she spun around, slamming the brunet into more obstacles.

"Quit wasting time!" Kaolinite commanded, the redhead's tone laced with annoyance as she glared at the Senshi, keeping a wary eye out for reinforcements or worse, the sound of a motorcycle engine "Finish her off quickly and get back to taking his Heart Crystal!"

"Leave her alone!" Yuichiro yelled out, rushing towards the monster, unable to bear watching a young woman, even if she WAS a senshi, getting hurt in any way, only to yelp as Toden bitch-slapped him out of the way, sending him flying into a nearby window, glass and shelving falling around him as he blacked out.

"IDIOT!" Kaolinite snapped, the redhead rounding on the Daimon, her normally composed features lined with fury "We can't extract his crystal if he's DEAD, remember?"

"Sorry…" Toden whistled softly, the Daimon looking down in shame at the telling off, even as she twiddled her thumbs helplessly "But he shouldn't have tried to jump the cue-!"

Whatever she was about to say next was cut off as a Venus Love Me Chain lashed out, shattering her restraint, freeing Sailor Mars, the Daimon and her master turning to find the rest of the Inner Senshi standing posed and ready for another fight.

"Our city has a policy of No Violations, No Accidents on our trains!" Sailor Moon called out, the pigtailed leader of the Inner Senshi going through her trademark entrance pose as she spoke "Anyone that breaks the rules shall be punished in the name of the Moon!"

"You pests again…" Kaolinite muttered, the Death Buster scowling at the inners in annoyance as she hovered in mid-air, arms crossed beneath her breasts "You're unusually early…I haven't even DONE anything yet."

"Like we'd believe THAT!" Jupiter spat, the thunder Senshi glaring up at the redhead accusingly, even as Mercury helped a winded Sailor Mars to her feet "We saw what your Daimon did to our friend!"

"Oh like you haven't done anything WORSE to her predecessors." Kaolinite shot back, a smirk on her face "No, wait, that was that annoying pest in the gold armour…HE'S the one with the highest Daimon kills to his name, you girls must feel SO lucky to have a competent ally for a change."

"What's THAT supposed to mean?" Sailor Moon demanded, the blonde not liking the redhead's tone, suspecting she might have been making a dig at her boyfriend/future husband.

"Exactly what it does." Kaolinite shot back "What, you don't honestly expect me to believe that Tuxedo wearing clod that shows up at random actually does more than toss roses before giving motivational speeches?"

"You leave Tuxedo Kamen-Sama out of this!" Sailor Moon exclaimed, glaring at the redhead angrily, an expression that the other Senshi mimicked "So he doesn't have any flashy, powerful attacks! That doesn't mean he can't do anything!"

"Nice going moon brain…" Mars muttered, the Senshi sweatdropping at their leader's unwitting slandering of her boyfriend. Seriously, it was a wonder that she'd grow up to be the future queen of Silver Tokyo at all.

"Enough of this!" Kaolinite called out, the redhead glaring at the Senshi in even as she addressed her Daimon minion "Toden! I'll deal with these pests! You get that idiot's Pure Heart!"

"Okay!" the Daimon saluted, her whistle chirping as she leapt off the tracks, moving towards the station building, only to yelp as a fireball blocked her path, leaping back scant seconds before it could hit her.

"STAY AWAY FROM YUICHIRO!" Mars snarled, looking battered and bruised, and more than a little angry as she readied another salvo, even as Kaolinite snapped her fingers, forcing the rest of the inners to scatter to avoid a bolt of dark lightning.

Unnoticed by them all, a little red shape, like an origami bird, keened softly as it flew past them into the damaged window.

* * *

_With Yuichiro... _

"Ow…" Yuichiro moaned, the young man lying on his back, bits of glass and debris littered around him from his flight through the window "Feels like I got run over by a train…" he muttered, unaware of the irony of his remark.

Trying to move sent a searing agony through his body, to he simply lay there, drawing quick, painful gasps of air into his tortured lungs. 'I hope Rei-san got away…' he prayed, eyes closing as he recalled the girl's desperate features as she raced towards him 'Much as I'd have liked to see her one last time, I'd prefer she got herself to safety.'

A sudden chirping reached his ears, the wounded man looking up in dull amazement as a small, birdlike figure flew into the ruined office, trilling a soft, gentle tune as it circled down towards him. "What the?" he wondered, looking at the creature in amazement as it landed near his head, flapping it's silvery, red-lined wings for balance "What are you?"

Again, the same keening whistle, only this time, much to Yuichiro's shock, the bird creature jumped into the air, it's form contorting into a silvery disk, which spun like a discus towards his wrist.

"Well, well Yuichiro…" a familiar voice noted, Yuichiro's eyes widened as Rei's Grandfather's amused tones washed over him around him "If you're hearing this, then you've probably gotten yourself into quite the little pickle, haven't you?"

"Hino-san?" Yuichiro wondered, half expecting the old man to be hiding around a corner and throwing his voice, only for the little disk to keep spinning.

"Now don't bother asking questions, this is only a recording." The elderly priest's voice continued with a chuckle "Such useful little things these disk animals, always willing to help out too. But enough about that, if Akanetaka's shown itself to you, then you must've been put in a life threatening situation."

'Definitely got me there…' Yuichiro muttered, grimacing as his ribs ached, something must have been ruptured inside, because he hurt like HELL.

"Now normally, I'd ask this in person," the priest\s voice continued "but you're a grown man, even if you DO dress like a hippy," Here Yuichiro frowned, as he considered himself more of a rocker than anything else "So I'll give you a choice: Death as a man? Or Life as something more?"

'Something more?' Yuichiro repeated, wondering if the old man was being metaphysical again. He usually came out with such bouts of sage wisdom which would make Yuichiro's head hurt if thought about to hard. As things went, this one wasn't to bad though.

"Live or die it's your choice." The priest's voice continued "Tell Akanetaka the answer, but come see me if you choose to live." He snorted "Of course, I'll gladly perform the funeral service if you choose to die."

'Hino-san…' Yuichiro sweatdropped, realizing the old man was trying to lighten the mood, though his sense of humor was still out of whack. The disk stopped playing, and the little red and silver bird reappeared, looking up at him inquisitively, it's head tilted to the side. 'Do I want to live? Stupid question.' Yuichiro muttered, though he had to admit, a life without Rei in it seemed pointless, without meaning.

A scream outside drew his attention, not because it was familiar, though he knew the voice, but because he'd never heard it raised in such a fashion. 'Rei-san!' he exclaimed, his eyes widening beneath his hair as the sounds of GUNFIRE filled the air outside 'No! She must have gotten caught up in that!'

He struggled to get up, but his limbs were too weak, his body refusing to move despite the will of his heart, causing him to collapse on the ground again.

"Dammit…Rei-san!" he called out, tears of helplessness falling from his cheeks as he lay on the ground, only for his eyes to land on the little bird, which was still looking up at him, almost expectantly. "You…" he called out, clenching his teeth as he reached out for the bird desperately with his left hand, the other holding his side "Please…I don't care…if I live or Die…but please…help me save Rei-san!"

The bird tilted its head, as if listening to some unseen voice, before nodding, hopping forwards, and tugging on the golden brace that adorned Yuichiro's wrist, the man's eyes widening as the golden oni-face dropped, revealing what appeared to be strings.

"What on earth?" Yuichiro wondered, bringing the brace up to his face in confusion, looking over his arm in confusion "What is this?"

His thoughts got no further, for the moment he turned the strings away from him, the bird had hopped forward and plucked them with it's beak, creating a sharp noise like classical Japanese guitar strings, Yuichiro's whole world going white as the sound of roaring thunder filled his ears.

* * *

_With the Senshi... _

"You Sailor Senshi have been a thorn in my side for FAR too long!" Kaolinite declared, snapping her fingers, sending the Senshi scurrying for cover, keeping her focus on Moon, who despite being allegedly the most powerful of the little cell, was also the clumsiest.

Seriously, why would she even WEAR high-heeled boots if she couldn't even LAND properly like the rest of her fellow Senshi? Even Sailor Mars' impractical red shoes didn't impede her ability to land agilely on her feet.

While this was going on, Toden was struggling to get past Sailors Mars and Venus, the Guardian of Love having encircled the Youma with her Love Me Chain, keeping her from advancing on the depot, while Mars kept hurling her Burning Mandala at the monster.

"Bringing inflammable objects onto the train is a violation!" Toden shrieked, whistling shrilly as she spun in place, "All ABOARD!" she cried, taking a startled Venus for a ride, creating an orange and blue tornado, until the blonde Senshi, dizzy from the motion, lost her grip on her chain and slammed into Mars, knocking them into the wall."

"Please stand clear till the Train has come to complete stop!" Toden called out, the Tyrannical Train halting her spin, before turning her attention to the now clear path to the train station "Next stop: Pure Heart Crystal!"

"BATTLE MODE!" a mechanised voice called out, the Daimon turning in confusion, only to gape in alarm as several missiles rushed towards her, forcing her to leap clear of the building to avoid being blasted to kingdom come.

"Caucasus-san!" Sailor Mercury called out, the Senshi looking up in relief as the Golden Rider appeared, riding atop the ever-intimidating Side-Bashaar in Battle Mode, the Mecha's cannons aimed between Kaolinite and Toden.

"What the hell kept you?" Mars called out, the fire Senshi just as relieved to see their Golden ally, tough she'd never admit it, a sentiment made worse due to the stress from seeing Yuichiro injured and the worry that his heart would be stolen having made her a little crankier than normal.

"I was helping a friend." Caucasus replied, the Rider's tone sarcastic as usual, though it also carried a hint of apology "Besides," he countered, looking from the Senshi to Kaolinite "it looked like you all had matters well in hand…"

"Make the world stop spinning…" Venus burbled, a mildly concussed expression on her face as Mars helped her to her feet, the Senshi of Love still a little out of the loop from her trip.

"YOU AGAIN?" Kaolinite snapped, her eyes narrowing in hatred at the sight of her most despised foe to date, though she wisely chose to avoid doing anything stupid in the face of Side-Bashaar's artillery "Don't you have better things to do!"

"I do, actually." Caucasus shot back, his tone mocking as he rested on the handlebars of the Side-Bashaar languidly "So if you'd be so kind as to surrender so I can get on with them, I'd be much appreciative."

"Like hell!" Kaolinite snarled, snapping her fingers, forcing Side-Bashaar to leap out of the path of a bolt of lightning, Caucasus returning the favor by opening fire with the behemoth's main guns "DAMN!" she swore, rising quickly into the air to avoid the initial barrage of gunfire "Toden! I'm leaving the rest to you!" she called out, not liking her chances now that Caucasus had joined the fray "Forget the idiot's crystal! Squash those pests like bugs on the windscreen!"

"Okay!" the Daimon declared, leaping into the air even as her master teleported away, crossing her arms before her "Toden New Line Creation!"

"The hell?" Caucasus wondered, looking around in confusion as Electrified railway tracks sprouted from the Daimon's wrist-cuffs, cursing as they encircled the Side-Bashaar, forcing him to leap clear of it to avoid being restrained as well.

"Parking Vehicles on the tracks is a violation!" Toden chirped, tossing the Side-Bashaar away, causing the Senshi to dodge as it bore down on them, only for Moon to trip over her own two feet and fall flat on her face.

"YIKES!" the pigtailed Senshi exclaimed, looking up at the oncoming behemoth in alarm, only to blink as something grabbed her, the world seeming to blur for a second, blinking again only for the world to reset, the Side-Bashaar crashing into the ground where she'd fallen, about ten feet away.

"You alright?" a voice asked, the Senshi looking up to see Caucasus, the Rider having shed his Masked Form in order to rescue her.

"F-Fine…" Moon stammered, relieved that she'd avoided being crushed, even as Caucasus set her down on her feet "Thanks for the assist."

"Don't mention it." Caucasus assured her, only to curse, shoving her clear of another set of rail tracks, whipping out his phone-blaster and opening fire at the airborne pest.

"Please wait for the next departure!" Toden chirped, her arms crossed before her as a sound like rail-way bells began to play around her, a Train signal with the kanji for 'Vehicle not in Service' appearing on the front of her hat as the Daimon held out her hands before her "Front: Clear!" she declared, a train grill appearing in her hands "Sides: All Clear!" she declared, even as an antenna popped out of her back, and a set of wheels appeared on her feet like roller blades "Alright for Departure!" she declared, dropping onto the newly formed tracks and raced towards the group like the world's most suggestive tram-car.

"Okay, that's just wrong." Caucasus muttered, sweatdropping at the sight, even as he fired a potshot at the Tyrannical train as she barreled past, "Moves pretty fast for something with such a huge-ass caboose."

"Where the hell are you looking?" Mars demanded, a deadpan expression on her face even as the rest of the Senshi sweatdropped at the Rider's comment.

"What?" Caucasus shot back, gesturing towards the airborne Daimon defensively "Don't tell me you never noticed? I mean for God's sakes are ALL your enemies suggestively dressed females?"

"Of course not!" Jupiter countered, looking insulted, "Some of our fiercest enemies have been male!" she countered, recalling Beryl's generals and the Dark Moon Clan in particular.

"Actually, he has a point…" Mercury opined, her tone intrigued "Most of the monsters we've faced, except for those that were crystal carriers, have all been female."

"I always wondered why that was…" Venus opined, having recovered from her dizzy spell and now looking as interested as the others "You think it's because their masters are just a bunch of pervy old men?"

"The Generals weren't THAT old." Mars reminded the blonde Senshi, "Neither were the Dark Moon Clan, unless you include Wiseman. Hell we're technically the same age since we're reincarnated."

"Wait, reincarnated?" Caucasus repeated, looking up sharply at the Fire Senshi's words, as it reminded him of his own situation "You mean you've died before?"

"Long story, tell you later!" Moon exclaimed, the group leaping out of the way as Toden came by for another pass "Damn! She DOES have a big butt!"

"HEY!" Toden exclaimed, her head whipping round to glare at the Pigtailed Senshi, a flush adorning her pale green cheeks as she whistled shrilly "No sexual harassment on the train!" she shrilled, turning around and barreling towards them once again "I'LL TURN YOU INTO BUGS ON THE WINDSCREEN!" the enraged Daimon snarled, having taken the crack at her 'caboose' pretty personally, she was a train after all, only to yelp as something flew in front of her face, blinding her.

"A bird?" Mars wondered, blinking in confusion as the little red and silver creature pecked at Toden's face, causing the Daimon to yelp in pain, "Where did it come from?" A sound like cracking thunder crashed behind them, the Senshi and Rider looking up in surprise to see a bolt of Lightning crash into the roof of the station "What the?"

* * *

_As the lightning strikes..._

Caucasus frowned, turning to look at the roof, his eyes narrowing as he realized there was a figure standing amongst the electricity. 'Is that…' he wondered, peering into the storm, only to blink as the figure inside waved his arm, the storm dismissing with a clap of thunder, revealing a tall figure with armored skin that shone a pale white. Across his chest was a strange bandolier that resembled red guitar strings. His hands and feet were covered in black and silver armor, the same armor that lined the front of his helmet, save for a little golden Oni face under the horn.

"Another Rider!" Jupiter exclaimed, the Senshi's eyes widening as they stared at the new arrival in shock, even Toden halting her struggles to peer at this new interloper.

"Do you know him?" Mercury wondered, turning to Caucasus inquisitively, only to find him staring as intently at the newcomer as the rest of them.

"Bringing animals on the train is forbidden!" Toden exclaimed, swatting the red hawk aside as she turned her attention to the Rider "Breaking this rule means DEATH!" she cried, launching one of her restraining rings at him.

The new Rider gave no response, merely leapt off the roof, missing the restraint by a mile, the Senshi and Caucasus looking on in surprise at the sight of the strange device he wore across his back. "Is…is that a guitar?" Venus wondered, the group blinking at the instrument in confusion as the Rider straightened from his landing "What's he gonna do with that?"

As if to answer her question, the Rider whipped the guitar off his back with a flourish, gripping the impressive looking device in both hands as Toden bore down on him like a proverbial freight train.

"Look out!" Sailor Mars called out, her eyes narrowing as she instinctively drew one of her talismans from thin air, charging it with ki before hurling it at the Daimon with a cry of "AKURYOU TAISAN!"

"E-emergency stop?" Toden exclaimed, her eyes widening in surprise as, sure enough, her wheels locked and refused to budge the moment the talisman attached itself to her head "Dammit! Move! MOVE-!"

She got no further, as a shadow fell over her, the Daimon looking up to see the Rider standing over her, his guitar held in either hand. With a grunt, he spun round, the light shining off the sides of his instrument, which the Daimon noted looked SURPRISINGLY sharp, just before it slammed into her sides, lifting her off the tracks and onto the platform in a tangle of limbs.

"D-DAMAGING PUBLIC PROPERTY IS A CRIME…!" she stammered, trying to pull herself to her feet, only for the Rider to drop down on her, letting out a grunt of pain as he stabbed the butt of the guitar into her exposed stomach.

"Ouch…" Caucasus muttered, the Senshi flinching in sympathy even as Toden howled in pain, struggling to pull the weapon out "What do you think he does for an encore?"

As if to answer his question, the Rider turned so that the Guitar was astride him, detaching a section that was attached to the hilt, sliding it into place, causing two more blades to appear, much to Toden's discomfort. Heedless of the Daimon's renewed screams, the Rider brought his thumb up, revealing a small claw, before fiercely strumming the guitar strings, the Senshi looking on in shock as the sound waves coming off the instrument actually seemed to crack the earth.

"In…Incredible!" Mercury exclaimed, the bluenette looking on in shock, through the lens of her visor "He's attacking using super-sonic vibrations! He's literally SHAKING her apart from the inside!"

With one last impressive Guitar Riff, the Rider brought his thumb up, the wail of the guitar blotting out Toden's shriek of agony as the Daimon exploded beneath the Rider, obscuring him from view.

"Whoa!" Sailor Venus exclaimed, the blonde Senshi's blue eyes widening in excitement as she lowered her hands from shielding her face "That was AWESOME!" she cheered, looking hyped "Do it again!"

"On what? The Daimon's DEAD." Caucasus reminded her, the Golden Rider's tone amused as he he turned to look at her askance "Unless you're willing to volunteer?"

"Uh…never mind…" Venus muttered, the Senshi of love sweatdropping at the idea, only to blink as the smoke cleared, revealing the mangled remains of the train, but no sign of the new Rider "Hey! Where'd he go!"

"Never mind HIM!" Mars countered, racing past her friend with a desperate expression on her face "We need to find Yui-Kumada-san!" she yelled, Caucasus applauding her for noticing the slip.

"You looking for this?" a voice called out, the Senshi looking up in surprise as the smoke cleared, revealing Uranus and Neptune, standing with the unconscious, and NAKED, form of Yuichiro held between them "We found him staggering around without his pants in the smoke. Care to tell us what the heck happened here?"

"OH MY GOD!" Sailor Moon exclaimed, the Senshi averting their eyes, poor Mercury fainting dead away while Mars' face went as red as her fuku skirt "W-What happened to him?"

"We just saw him collapse, that's all." Neptune assured the girl, smiling at Caucasus as he stepped forward with a piece of tarp to cover the naked man "We showed up too late to do anything really."

"I'd rather know what the hell that noise was." Uranus scoffed, smiling at the younger blonde even as Caucasus took Yuichiro from them, setting the teen down on one of the seats nearby "There a rock concert going on here or something?"

"It was the new Rider!" Venus exclaimed, causing the elder Senshi's eyes to widen "He was so cool! He appeared in a bolt of lightning and fought with a guitar!" she put a finger to her lips in confusion "I wonder where he could have gone?"

Caucasus said nothing, merely eyed the unconscious form of Yuichiro as Sailor Mars checked the man over, a silent, contemplative expression beneath his mask.

* * *

And we'll leave off there.

Again, many thanks to Kamen Rider Chrome and Ten Faced Paladin, whose masterpieces inspired me to branch out into the realm of Kamen Rider Fiction.

C.C: A well Deserved branch it would seem.

Kyugan: Well Kamen Rider IS awesome.

C.C: What about Super Sentai?

Kyugan: Depends on the series. Some of them actually Americanise rather well.

C.C: But original Sentai's still better right?

Kyugan: Hell yes.

C.C: So would you consider doing a Sentai cross?

Kyugan: Dunno, none seem to grab me.


	19. Chapter 19

This chapter is dedicated to Faroush, for reasons that will be explained much later.

Also, some of you have asked how in the hell the Hibiki Riders can exist in the Senshi's world. Those questions will be explained sort of, this chapter.

Enjoy.

* * *

Rider Training.

"Ugh…" Yuichiro muttered, the teen slumping as he leaned against his broom, decked out in his shrine robes, having been brought back to the Hikawa Shrine after the events of the previous night "Great…not only do I get attacked by a monster, but it STEALS my CLOTHES too?" he slumped "And worse! Rei-san saw my JUNK!"

Naturally, Rei had explained to the teen how she and her friends had called a friend for help getting him home, but that still didn't cover the fact that 'Yuichiro jr.' had been on display. "God…just kill me now…" the man whined, glaring angrily down at the bracelet wrapped around his arm "Why'd it take my clothes and not this though?"

"I doubt a monster would be able to touch that without serious injury." A voice countered, Yuichiro turning round to find Rei's grandfather standing behind him "Still daydreaming I see?"

"Elder!" the teen exclaimed, raising his arms in the air in alarm "N-No! I was just…just taking a breather!"

"Make sure to leave some air for the trees now boy." The elder Hino chuckled, gesturing to the falling leaves "And get over it, so they saw your junk, big deal! Could've been worse."

"How could it have POSSIBLY been worse?" Yuichiro demanded, his tone hurt at the elder's casual dismissal of his shame, only to blink as the old man smiled cryptically up at him.

"You really can't remember can you?" the old man chuckled, shaking his head "Ah well, I suppose that's fine…for now anyway…"

"Elder?" Yuichiro wondered, blinking in confusion as the priest sauntered off to wherever it was he went when he was acting mysterious "Wonder what he meant by that?"

* * *

_Elsewhere... _

It was dark within the Death Buster's secret lair, but this caused no problems for the Professor, who by now was USED to his dark surroundings, so much so that he thought nothing of turning on a light in order to better examined a sample under his microscope, writing effortlessly with his free hand.

"Professor…" Kaolinite called out, the redhead walking up to him, a tray with cup of tea and a plate of cookies in her hands "Your tea is ready." She announced, walking up to the man as he turned to look at her "I also tried my hand at making cookies."

"Thank you, Kaolinite." The man greeted, rising slowly from his chair and standing with his arms clapped behind him, not looking at the redhead her "Though rather than tea, I would know how the hunt for the talismans is progressing."

Kaolinite flinched, lowering her gaze in shame, having known the conversation would turn to such matters, but had been hoping to soften the inevitable blows that would fall on her. "I don't like saying this, Kaolinite." The Professor intoned, his voice severe "But this almost incessant string of failures thus far has led me to wonder whether your approach is the right one."

"My apologies…" Kaolinite offered, lowering her head in shame, even as the Professor's pale hand came up to accept the tea she'd offered, her heart soaring a little as he drank it, only to pause, grimacing as he popped his neck joints.

"Ugh…not good…" he muttered, grimly "Since I've been cooped up with my experiments for so long my body's getting a little stiff, maybe I should exercise a little…"

He paused, Kaolinite knowing better than to ask him to continue, recognizing the signs of his brain working as a Slasher Smile formed on his face.

"Could that be it? It MUST be it!" the professor deduced, his smile in place as he turned to leer at his redheaded assistant "Kaolinite! Don't they say that a Healthy Heart lies within a Healthy Body?" he didn't bother to wait for her reply "I shall prepare a Daimon straight away, take it and secure the heart of a sportsman. It is one of the fields that we have yet to explore."

"A wonderful idea, Professor." Kaolinite applauded, smiling proudly at her beloved master as he stood before her "If I may sir, what's your favorite sport?"

"Stair Climbing." The Professor admitted, turning his back on the woman, who couldn't help the look of stunned surprise that crossed her features, unable to do anything but bow in understanding as she took her leave.

* * *

_Hikawa Shrine... _

"You wanted to see me, Elder?" Yuichiro wondered, pushing aside the sliding doors of the shrine open to find the old man sitting on a cushion.

"Ah Yuichiro." Hino greeted, smiling at the younger man that was infatuated with his granddaughter in welcome "I've got a guest arriving in a while, could you make the tea and bring us some snacks to go with it?"

"Uh…sure…" Yuichiro stammered, blinking in surprise at the request "But…doesn't Rei-san usually do that?" he asked nervously, as he'd only prepared tea on a few occasions, and those hadn't been very well compared to Rei's.

"Rei-chan's with her friends at one of their study sessions." Hino admitted, smiling as the younger man's eyes widened in realization "Besides, this isn't a formal ceremony, just a friendly little chat." He nodded dismissively "Now hurry along, he shouldn't be long."

"H-Hai!" Yuichiro stammered, bowing in understanding, before stumbling off towards the kitchen section of the house, sighing in relief that he didn't have to go through a lengthy ceremony, leaving the elder Hino on his own.

"Such a dependable boy he is…" the old priest chuckled, shaking his head in bemusement as he listened to Yuichiro's feet scamper off, only to turn his attention to a part of the wall and smile "Wouldn't you agree, Kamen Rider-kun?"

A sliding door parted, revealing the frowning form of Lelouch, his eyes narrowed in suspicion as he stepped into the room, the red and silver bird from earlier perched on his shoulder. "Have a seat." Hino offered, gesturing to another cushion that he'd laid out for the teen, right across from him "Yuichiro won't take long, and I'm certain you've have questions."

"A few." Lelouch admitted, his tone wry, but his expression deadly serious as he glanced at the old man inquistively "For starters would be how you knew I was a Kamen Rider?"

"Why the answer is there on your shoulder." Hino replied, smiling as he held out a hand, the red and silver bird chirping as it flew from Lelouch's shoulder, landing on the old man's wrist "Akanetaka is VERY good at aerial surveillance, he's been a good friend of mine for some time now."

"That's the bird that appeared during the Daimon attack at the train station the other day." Lelouch noted, not even bothering to pretend he wasn't there "Should I assume YOU were the one responsible for sending it there?"

"You know what happens to people who assume." Hino chuckled, his tone teasing, only to relent in the face of Lelouch's stare "Yes, I sent him to keep an eye on Yuichiro, if nothing had happened when he left the city, I was willing to let him leave."

"But something DID happen." Lelouch countered, more of a statement than an accusation as he took a seat before the old man "A Daimon attacked, and was taken down by another Rider."

"Not a bad job for a rookie eh?" Hino chuckled, smiling up at the younger man unrepentantly "I always knew Yuichiro-kun had the stuff in him to go far!"

"He was impressive, yes." Lelouch agreed, his tone calculative "But he moved as if in a trance, I'm guessing YOU had a hand in that as well?"

"Nope, it was all him." Hino countered, smiling wryly "Or rather, it WOULD be him, once he gets a little more experience." He winked at the teen "I merely…brought it out for a bit."

"Brainwashing?" Lelouch wondered, quirking a brow in thought, only to for Hino to shake his head "I see, more like a subconscious-hypnotic trance then?"

"You are a sharp one." Hino applauded, his smile approving, as he looked down at the floor whimsically "Yuichiro-kun's a good lad. A little dense, true, and in SERIOUS need of a haircut, but a good lad nonetheless." He sighed proudly "He'd make an excellent Oni, if he could be allowed to develop."

"Is that what he is then?" Lelouch wondered, the former emperor quirking a brow at the elderly priest intriguingly "An Oni? As in traditional Japanese Ogres?"

"For a pretty foreigner with no past you certainly know your Japanese mythology." Hino noted teasingly, earning a frown from the teen for his knowledge "And indeed, the Oni have been the protectors of Japan from time immemorial."

"They haven't been doing a very good job recently." Lelouch noted wryly, waving a hand for emphasis as the old man's brow quirked "The Sailor Senshi seem to be doing all the work."

"Only here in Juuban ward." Hino countered, holding up a contradictory finer "And that is only because, like it or not, the Senshi attract trouble to themselves." He lowered his finger at Lelouch's nod of understanding "The Oni are spread thin around Japan, keeping the humans safe from the shadows."

"I see." Lelouch noted, nodding his head in understanding. If anything, it reminded him of how Sayoko, despite being a capable assassin, hid her skills behind a mask of meekness and servitude "That being the case." The former emperor spoke up "I assume you had some reason for changing Yuichiro-san into an Oni?" he asked, his tone inquisitive rather than accusing.

"To save his life." Hino replied without pause "That, and to pass on my Mantle to a worthy disciple." He smiled up at the foreign teen, noting the look of confirmation in his exotic purple eyes "You don't look surprised."

"I suspected as much." Lelouch reasoned, his tone calm "I'll admit, the revelation of Oni surprised me, but it certainly makes sense after what you said." He quirked a brow at the old man "I assume the reason you're passing your mantle to Yuichiro is because the capability to become Oni only runs in the MEN of the Hino family?"

"I'm afraid not." Hino countered, the old man sighing ruefully, his features falling, as he felt all of his many years in that single breath "My late daughter, Rei's mother, was my previous successor." He smiled fondly in recollection "An Oni more talented than you would believe." His features fell once more "But she died shortly after Rei-chan was born, killed whilst exterminating a demon." He shrugged resignedly "By that point, my wife had already passed on to the next life," he smiled wryly "while Rei-chan…"

"I see..." Lelouch muttered, a light of understanding coming to his eyes "Judging by your tone, and the fact you so readily found out who 'I' am, I suppose it shouldn't surprise me that you know who the Senshi are as well?"

"I do, and I'm VERY proud of my Granddaughter." Hino admitted, smiling proudly as he raised his head towards the teen "I'll admit, when I first sensed her transform, I was surprised, she didn't show ANY signs of a transformation ability that the family normally associates with, I had assumed she simply lacked the ability."

"Instead, she simply wasn't destined to become an Oni." Lelouch continued, earning a nod from the old man as he quirked a brow "Have you said nothing to her? Why not offer your help? Lord only knows they needed all the help they could get starting up."

"I've wanted to help her before." Hino admitted, his tone turning sad as he shook his head, staring at his wrinkled hands with a sigh "but I'm old now, FAR too old to continue to fight, and the rules of the Oni strictly forbid us from revealing ourselves to humans, save those we intend to marry." He snorted wryly and glanced up at the teen "Besides, if those girls saw an Oni running about, what do you think their first reaction would be?"

"Good point…" Lelouch noted, snorting at the image of Sailor Moon hitting Yuichiro-as-Oni over the head with her Spiral Moon Heart Rod while the poor Oni covered his head in terror "So what did you bring me here for? I highly doubt you called me here simply to drink tea."

"You should relax more, you'll ruin that pretty face of yours with worry lines!" Hino proclaimed, only to sigh as Lelouch quirked a brow at him "I want you to help Yuichiro-kun." he admitted, his features serious for once "I can teach him Ongeki, the fighting style of the Oni, but without actual combat experience, he won't develop properly. He needs someone to watch over him out there, since I can't anymore."

"A mentor, then." Lelouch deduced, nodding his head in understanding "I don't see why not, I could use a little back-up. And this way we've got someone keeping an eye on your granddaughter and her friends."

"Beautiful and Clever!" the old priest applauded, smiling unnervingly at Lelouch, who merely quirked his brow at the elder man's flirtatious antics "Ah, if only I'd had a son like you."

"You'll just have to settle for a Grandson." Lelouch snorted, the former Emperor smirking wryly at the elder Hino as he did so "And no, that wasn't a declaration of intention."

"Damn straight." Hino chuckled, his eyes glinting dangerously, somehow giving the impression he was polishing a shotgun despite smiling genially at the teen "You're cute kid, but I can't have Rei-chan marrying someone with no background or legitimate means to support her."

Lelouch shrugged, neither denying nor supporting the claim, as his gambling wasn't technically a legal means of funding, causing Hino to snort, the elder Hino turning to the sliding door with a smile. "You can stop eavesdropping now, Yuichiro." He called out, chuckling at the sound of stumbling feet and a sharp intake of breath "Come and say hello to your new mentor."

"H-Hai…" Yuichiro stammered, entering with a tray of tea and biscuits, his face flushed beneath his mop of shaggy hair at being caught out, though he was staring at Lelouch and the old man in awe "P-Pleasure to meet you. Kamen Rider-san."

"Call me Lelouch when I'm out of armor." Lelouch insisted, smiling at the brunet as he took a seat, before turning to Hino "And what do we call HIM?"

"Each Oni has his or her own name." Hino admitted, pulling a tuning fork out of his sleeve, a similar golden Oni face on the handle "I was known as Hinoki in my youth, my daughter went by Reiki."

"So it takes the parts of your own name and combines it with the 'Ki' from 'Oni'." Lelouch deduced, looking at Yuichiro carefully "Kumada Yuichiro…how about Yuuki?"

"Hm…not bad..." Hino noted, stroking his chin in thought "I don't believe there are any Oni currently using that name..." he slapped his knee "Yuuki it is!"

No sooner did the old man slap his knee did Lelouch's phone go off, the teen whipping it out, only to pause as Hino's tuning fork began to chime, despite the fact he hadn't struck it off anything, while Yuichiro's bracelet began making strumming noises.

"Are they supposed to do that?" Lelouch asked, quirking a brow as Yuichiro blinked and the elder Hino frowned "I'm assuming that's not a good thing."

"I would assume the same of YOU." Hino noted, his tone grim as he eyed the Rider's phone, turning to Yuichiro while Lelouch checked the co-ordinates "Go with Lelouch-kun, make sure to take every precaution not to be seen."

"We'll take my ride, it's out front." Lelouch offered, nodding to Yuichiro, who got to his feet nervously "And lighten up man, you look like you're going to a funeral."

"I loosen up anymore my legs will collapse." Yuichiro chuckled weakly, his tone nervous, yet determined, as he stood his ground, Lelouch looking the shaggy haired man over carefully, before sighing and patting him on the back.

"Relax, I wasn't pretty impressive on my first run either…" he assured the man, smiling at the memory of his first transformation "But you'd be surprised what you can do when people are in danger…" he frowned "Which they are NOW."

Yuichiro blinked, only for his eyes to harden along with his resolve, nodding his head once before following Lelouch out the doors to the shrine.

"I certainly picked a good choice, didn't I?" Hino noted, smiling approvingly as he watched the pair race down the steps of the shrine "Ah Reika…if only you'd lived to see this…" he chuckled "Mind you, if you were here, Yuichiro's chances of getting Rei-chan would drop even FURTHER!"

* * *

_Elsewhere... _

"Hikyun!" the Daimon called out, creating a sphere of purple energy in her hand before spiking it at Asai and his girlfriend, the teen diving to shield the girl, knocking the clear just before the ball detonated.

"Hold it!" Venus called out, dramatically appearing on the stage behind the Youma, pointing at it accusingly "In the Name of Venus, I will not let you interfere with the pure love of those two!"

"Don't get in my Way!" Hikyun called out, creating another of her Destructive spheres, spiking it towards the Senshi of Love, only for Venus to counter with her Love Me Chain, destroying the sphere before it came close.

"Such a thing won't work on a Sailor scout!" she called out, glaring at the Daimon, as if daring her to try again, only to jerk as a net, which hadn't been there a second ago, wrapped around her from behind.

"You touched the Net." The Daimon chuckled, smirking as she watched the Senshi of Love tumble off the stage, wrapped up in the energy net "Idiot, you'd have lived a long life id you'd never become a Sailor Senshi."

Venus, grimaced, her own argument for becoming a senshi thrown back in her face, making her question her decisions all the more, even as the Daimon turned her attention to the stunned forms before her.

"Now…" Hikyun intoned confidently, bringing her hands together in a Volleyball 'bump' stance, revealing the Black Star tattoo on her wrists, just behind her thumbs "I will take your pure heart which strives to match the perfect body!"

"STANDBY!" a voice called out, the Daimon pulling up short as a Golden Beetle slammed into her wrists, forcing her to bring her hands up to her face in agony, Venus looking on in surprise as the Beetle flew to the entrance to the gym, where a shadowy figure stood, the beetle attaching to his wrist as he brought his fist up in a martial arts stance "HENSHIN!"

"Caucasus-san!" she called out, her eyes widening in relief at the sight of the now familiar Gold and Silver armor of the Rider, "When did you get here?"

"Just now." Caucasus replied, his tone genial as he stepped into the hall, his gaze locked on the Youma, who was gripping her wrists and snarling "Figured I'd give the Rookie a lift."

"Rookie?" Venus repeated, only to blink at the sight of the other figure standing next to the more familiar Rider "Ah! The other Rider!"

"H-Hi…" the new figure greeted, rubbing the back of his horned head nervously, looking oddly flustered by the Senshi's attention "N-Nice to meet you."

"Buck up rookie." Caucasus snorted, elbowing the other Rider in the gut "You can flirt when there isn't a Daimon about to steal some poor kid's heart."

"I…I wasn't flirting!" Yuuki stammered, Venus pouting at the denial, only for the Riders' to look up as Hikyun launched another sphere at them, the Rider's separating, Yuuki rolling to his feet with a curse "Damn! What do we do?"

"What do YOU do, you mean." Caucasus countered, the Gold and Silver Rider leaning against a wall with his arms crossed "This is your first actual battle kid, go nuts."

"B-But Caucasus-san!" Venus called out, her eyes widening with alarm as she struggled to break free from her confines "Asai-kun's crystal!"

"Relax." Caucasus assured her, his eyes never leaving the Daimon "If Miss Wonder-bra there goes for the goal, I'll intercept." He looked at his partner "Gonna just let her go for it, rookie?"

"Like hell!" the white Rider swore, lunging forwards with his guitar in hand, slashing away at her with the sharp, blade like section, the Daimon, surprised by the sudden ferocity of the attacks, driven back under the onslaught "HORAAA!"

"Attacking the other players is a fowl!" Hikyun called out, stumbling back and forming another one of her sphere, attempting an overhead spike, slamming it into the startled Rider's head, sending him to the floor "Endgame!"

"NOT YET!" the downed Rider yelled, instinctively lashing up with his Guitar, burying the tip in the Daimon's stomach as she stood over him, her yell of triumph turning into a choke of surprise as he pushed it deeper "Damn! What is this lady made of?"

"What're you waiting for?" Caucasus called out, leaning casually against the wall, still in his Masked Form, his arms crossed before him as he watched the pair "Use that finishing move you used the other day."

"The other day…?" Yuuki repeated, the Neo-oni turning his head to the side in confusion, only to jolt, as a bust of memory raced through his body. Almost instinctively, his fingers detached a section of his guitar, slotting it into place near the base, causing three more spikes to spread out, much to the Daimon's displeasure.

"Ongeki-zan…" he called out, rising to one knee, gripping the neck of his guitar in one hand, raising the thumb of the other to reveal a pick-like claw "Raiden Meishin!"

As Venus, Caucasus, and the semi-conscious Asai looked on, the new Rider began strumming his guitar, releasing wave after wave of sonic vibrations that caused Hikyun to scream in agony, her insides slowly reducing themselves to powder under the assault, the Daimon exploding in a burst of dust and Volleyball leather with one last echoing strum.

"Sugoi…" a voice called out, the Oni Rider looking up to see the rest of the Sailor Senshi standing in the doorway, their eyes wide with shock at the new Rider's attack. "That was so COOL!" Sailor Moon exclaimed, the pigtailed Senshi throwing her hands in the air as she cheered, only to blink as the Rider dropped to his hands and knees "Ah? Are you alright…?"

"Don't…feel so good…" Yuuki muttered, grimacing as he felt his 'skin' ripple, a bright light covering his form as he felt his power fading, the Senshi's eyes widening as they looked on in wonderment.

"CAST OFF!" a voice called out, the Senshi backing away in alarm as Caucasus shed his outer armor, forcing them away from the downed Oni even as the Golden Rider grabbed him around the waist, the Golden Rider slapping his waist, the pair of them vanishing with a cry of "CLOCK UP!"

"Hey WAIT!" Moon exclaimed, looking on as the door to the gym slammed shut behind them, a confused look on her face "What was THAT all about?"

"He probably didn't want us to see the other Rider's face." Mars deduced, her brow furrowing in thought. While Caucasus was familiar, she had no recollection of this new Rider from her dreams 'I'll need to do a fire reading when I get home.' She vowed, even as Venus ran to check up on Asai and his girlfriend.

Unbeknownst to the Fire Senshi, the battle had been watched by two others parties, namely Kaolinite and the Outers, who were both in the same mind of the New Rider as she was. 'This could be problematic…' they muttered, though the Senshi were more open minded, as it seemed Caucasus KNEW the new Rider.

* * *

_Nearby... _

"Not bad…" Lelouch noted, looking down at Yuichiro, who's transformation had worn off, leaving him lying exhausted on his back "Better than I did my first time." He quirked a brow in exasperation "Though what the hell is it with you and losing your clothes?"

"I didn't do it on purpose!" Yuichiro wailed, the Neo-Oni Rider clutching Lelouch's jacket to his waist to hide his shame "The elder never taught me how to change back!"

'I'll bet he did it on PURPOSE.' Lelouch muttered, shaking his head as a crow cried overhead. It sounded just like the old Priest's laugh "Good grief, what did I sign up for?"

* * *

And thus, Yuichirou-as-rider gets his debut!

So in short, the Oni Riders have existed in this world since...whenever the hell Oni first existed, but because the Senshi's first reaction to Youma etc is to blast first, don't bother asking questions later, they tend to leave the Senshi on their own.

Also, don't forget, Oni Riders are generally solos except whenever they have an apprentice (like Zanki and Todoroki), and are gnerally spread thin fighting the makamou, so they can't be EVERYWHERE. My theory is that, before Beryl awoke, Hinoki and Reiki (Rei's family basically) were the guardians of Tokyo from youma and the like, but when Reiki died and the Senshi awoke, Hinoki figured it was time to retire.

However, now that the Death Busters are here, and with a Kamen Rider to act as an ally, we might be seeing a return of the old guard.

And for those who point out that Rei's grandfather was a crystal carrier, I point to the simple fact that that particular arc was anime only. Sure I'm going by the anime myself, but if it had no effect on REI that her grandfather was some sort of super youma, why should it matter now?

Another fact: What did his Super Youma form look like? an oni/Namahage ripoff, and since Namahage is essentially an Oni, go figure.


	20. Chapter 20

Just a little something cause I've had it sitting around.

Picking up where the last Chapter left off, as well as bringing the Kaolinite arc to it's final stages.

How will having a new Rider help the Senshi out? Stay tuned!

* * *

Birthday Blues.

"Kaolinite-kun…" the Professor called out, knowing instinctively that his redheaded assistant/minion was there, even as he stood with his back turned to her, as always, his attention focused on the racks of test tubes which contained his precious Daimon Eggs, the sound of the bubbling chemicals needed to give them life the sole background noise in the otherwise silent lab "Have you selected the next target?"

"Yes Professor." Kaolinite confirmed, her tone confident "I'm CERTAIN about this one as well, she possesses a heart with unbelievable purity. There is no doubt in my mind that she possesses one of the talismans we seek."

"Is that so?" the Professor noted, his Slasher smile in place once again as he held one of the test tubes over a Bunsen burner to stimulate the growth of the Daimon Egg within "Then I shall entrust you with the finest Daimon I have." He instructed, pouring the mixture into the beaker, causing it to develop rabidly into a Daimon Seed. Though unlike its predecessors, THIS seed gave off an ominous green aura of power.

"I'm counting on you…Kaolinite-kun." the Professor intoned, his hands cupping the glowing seed of evil fanatically, his glasses reflecting the green aura, making his Slasher smile all the more intimidating "Do not let anything stand in your way, not the Sailor Senshi, not Uranus and Neptune, and CERTAINLY not those two Kamen Riders."

"Of course, Professor." Kaolinite agreed, the redhead bowing to her master, honored that he would entrust her with his strongest creation to date despite her many failures, a proud smirk coming to her face as she imagined the power the new Daimon would wield.

'Just you wait…' she vowed, envisioning Caucasus, the new Rider, and the Sailor Senshi crushed beneath her heel like ants 'I'll have revenge for all the times you interfered with me!'

* * *

_Hikawa Shrine... _

"HAH!" Yuuki called out, the Oni Rider lashing out with his guitar, swinging desperately as he tried to reach his opponent, Caucasus, the Gold and Silver Rider in his Masked Form.

"What're you aiming at?" Caucasus called out, the Golden & Silver Rider stepping back almost lazily to avoid the Oni Rider's desperate swing "Seriously, are you even aiming at all?"

"He's right!" an elderly voice called out, Reis' grandfather looking on with a stern expression from his position on the porch, watching the two Riders going at it with a critical expression in his eyes "Yuichiro-kun! You're swinging too wide! Try stabbing as well!"

"H-HAI!" Yuuki called out, the Oni Rider fixing his grip on the guitar so that he could stab and swing at the same time, forcing Caucasus back on the defensive, with improved results.

"And keep using your feet!" Hino called out sharply, the Shrine Elder eyeing the pair like a hawk from his pot on the porch "Lelouch-kun! You need to work on your footwork! What kind of fighting style is that!"

"I don't HAVE a fighting style!" Caucasus shot back tersely, wondering again why the hell he ever agreed to become Yuichiro's sparring partner. He'd assumed that all he'd have to do was watch the Oni Rider in the field until he learned the ropes, but is seemed that Elder Hino intended for them to spar together from time to time as well, in between sessions of teaching his successor the Oni fighting style: Ongeki.

"I can see that!" Hino called out, and there was humor in his tone, evident in the quirking of his lips as he scowled "Quite frankly the fact you've lasted as long as you have must be because of that armor you wear."

_"He's got you there."_ C3 chuckled, the Caucasus Zecter sounding most amused by the situation, even as Yuuki landed a glancing blow on her user's Masked Armor, forcing him back _"Your fighting skills aren't much better than a novice really. Without Clock up you'd REALLY be in a bind."_

"Shut up." Caucasus muttered, gritting his teeth as he was reminded, once again, about how physically under-whelming he was compared to others. True, since being revived his body had apparently started to develop, he suspected the Caucasus Armor had somethin to do with it, but his martial arts SKILLS were limited to what little self-defense lessons he'd gotten from Sayoko, and those had been sparing indeed, what with time constraints and the need for him to be in several different placed at once. "HA!" he yelled, stepping forwards, letting the edge of Yuuki's guitar glance off his side, burying his fist in the Oni Rider's gut, driving him to his knees, his transformation wearing off, leaving Yuichiro buck naked on the ground.

"Again?" Lelouch muttered, his armor vanishing as C3 detached, the former emperor shaking his head in exasperation as he stood over the naked man "Honestly, haven't you learned how to change back normally yet?"

"All in due time!" Hino called out cheerfully, the priest stepping lightly off the porch and walking up to the pair, a pair of Shrine robes in his hands "Don't look so down Yuichiro-kun, even the best Oni need a little help with THAT stage of the training." he chuckled "I remember the first time I changed back in front of my wife…" his eyes grew distant as drool dripped from his mouth "I couldn't transform for a WEEK afterwards!"

"Too much information…" Lelouch muttered, the elder teen grimacing at the imagery even as Yuichiro turned green, the Neo-Oni accepting the robes and shuffling off into the foliage to get changed.

"Oji-chan?" a voice called out, the pair looking up to see Rei round the corner "I thought I heard your voice, what's going on back here?"

"Ah! Rei-chan!" Hino greeted, waving at his granddaughter as he gestured to Lelouch, who quirked a brow as the foliage rustled at Yuichiro yelped in alarm "Just talking with Lelouch-kun here, he was interested in the shrine's history."

"Pleasure to meet you again, Hino-san." Lelouch greeted, inclining his head towards the startled priestess, noting the rest of the Senshi peering around the corner "I see the rest of your friends are here as well."

"Oops! Caught us!" Minako giggled, waving excitedly from around the corner, even as Makoto chuckled weakly and Ami flushed at being caught out.

"Having another study session, Rei-chan?" Hino asked, his tone laced with approval as he eyed his granddaughter "So good to see you taking your studies seriously."

"Oh stop it…" the priestess muttered, looking flustered with the look of pride the old man was giving her "We're actually arranging a Party for Usagi, it's her birthday today and we wanted to surprise her."

"Such a good girl she is." Hino sighed, smiling evilly at his granddaughter's embarrassment as he looked up at Lelouch "She'd make someone a good wife, wouldn't you agree, Lelouch-kun?"

"B-BAKA-JIJI!" Rei exclaimed, her face lighting up like her Senshi skirt as she turned on her heel and marched off, pushing a giggling Makoto and Minako in front of her, while Ami followed demurely behind them "Just let us know when Usagi gets here! And no spoiling the surprise!"

"What does she take me for?" Hino wondered, the diminuitive priest chuckling good-naturedly to belie the offended expression on his face "I love a good surprise party better than anyone!"

"Especially one with pretty girls." Lelouch noted, quirking a brow at the priest even as Yuichiro stumbled out of the foliage "What? Don't deny it, I SAW you eyeing her friends up."

"It's alright to LOOK." Hino countered, the old priest's tone good-natured, though his eyes glinted with a hardness that spoke of samurai steel "Looking is fine, it's TOUCHING where I draw the line."

Lelouch nodded while Yuichiro swallowed nervously, the former Emperor having shared such protective thoughts himself when it came to his sister. Even Cornelia, for all they'd been enemies, had been allotted a private room when she'd been captured to ensure some of the more volatile Black Knights didn't take their frustrations out on her. Not that they'd have SUCEEDED, since even with one arm restrained Cornelia was still a viable threat, but it was the thought that counted.

"In any case…" Hino sighed, shaking his head in bemusement "I suppose we'll have to put this off until later." He looked up at Yuichiro "Rush down to the store and grab some party favors will you? Some snacks and drinks too." He turned to Lelouch as his apprentice ran off "Would you care to stick around?"

"I'm not THAT well acquainted with them." Lelouch countered, smiling at the offer even as he shook his head "Besides, someone needs to patrol the area in case a Daimon attacks."

"I've got that covered." Hino assured him, whistling sharply, Lelouch's eyebrow quirking as a little blue and silver wolf stepped out of the foliage, growling at him in what he ASSUMED was a friendly manner. "My Ruriokami are scattered around the city, along with Akanetaka." Hino explained, squatting down to let the little disk animal leap onto his palm "If they spot anything, they'll let us know."

"I'll go out on patrol myself." C3 added, buzzing up to Lelouch's face, the golden Zecter's tone laced with amusement "Stay a while, relax, have a few drinks."

"I highly doubt a PRIEST would allow his granddaughter and her friends to drink." Lelouch countered, only to sigh as Hino began to whistle innocently off to the side, the former emperor shaking his head at the old man's antics "Fine, but at the first sign of trouble you let me know."

"Always." C3 chuckled, flying forwards, tapping her horn against the side of the startled teen's cheek in the semblance of a kiss, before flying off into the sky.

"The heck was that for?" Lelouch wondered, looking after the retreating golden beetle in confusion, missing the knowing look on Hino's face as the old priest chuckled in amusement.

* * *

_Juuban shopping district... _

'Here he comes…' Kaolinite chuckled, the redheaded Death Buster smiling confidently as she watched Mamoru Chiba draw closer to the store, where she'd espied her target fawning over a pair of green slippers. She'd been trailing after the girl all day, trying to decide how best to make a move on her, as the girl's heart was so pure it was hard to determine exactly what kind of heart the Daimon would go after.

When the Girl had made a fuss over getting a pair of crystal slippers, she knew she'd found her niche, and so had assumed the role of a store clerk in order to infiltrate the shop. Sure enough, after waiting almost the entire day, the girl's clueless, albeit handsome, boyfriend finally came racing back to the store, intent on purchasing the shoes for the girl.

"That should do it…" she mused, standing over the unconscious form of the REAL clerk, putting on a polite smile and welcoming the, young man as he ran into the store.

"Excuse me!" Mamoru greeted, a little out of breath from his race all over the shopping plaza, having forgotten where the store actually WAS "Can I have these glass slippers?"

"But of course." Kaolinite assured him, resisting the urge to cackle as she smiled at the admittedly cute young man, though she personally felt he PALED in comparison to the Professor "I'll wrap them up for you right away."

"Thank you!" Mamoru offered, smiling in relief, the reincarnated prince of earth, and future King of Crystal Tokyo looking on gratefully as the redhead ran the figures up, forking over a couple of bills, wincing at the price, before accepting the wrapped package and dashing off towards the shrine.

"Perfect…" Kaolinite smiled, the redhead following the teen out into the street, her eyes locked onto the package he held under his arm, not even bothering if anyone saw her as she teleported away.

* * *

_Outside the store... _

"No doubt about it…" Michiru muttered, the aquamarine haired woman's eyes narrowed in a frown as she peered around the corner along with Haruka "That was Kaolinite for sure."

"Yeah." Haruka agreed, the short-haired blonde nodding her head as she watched the redhead teleport away, the pair of them stepping out from behind the telephone booth they'd been hiding behind "Looks like the target's that guy." She noted, her eyes locked onto the retreating form of Usagi's girlfriend.

Michiru eyed her lover, unable to miss the tone of relief in Haruka's voice at the fact that the redhead wasn't targeting Usagi like they'd originally thought. Like it or not, the two of them had a mission, to find and locate the talismans. If it meant sacrificing a few lives to do so, they were prepared to do it.

Or they HAD been at least, with the arrival of Caucasus, the two rogue Senshi had found themselves questioning their resolve more and more. Haruka covered it well, being as tough as she was, but when it came to someone like Usagi, who BOTH of them liked as a friend, the blonde couldn't even bring herself to consider the idea of taking her Crystal, Talisman or no.

"Let's follow him." Haruka instructed, determined to thwart Kaolinite at every turn, the two rogue senshi blending with the crowd as they followed after Usagi's future husband covertly. Or so they thought.

"Those two eh?" C3 noted, the Golden Caucasus beetle flying overhead, peering down at the pair from above alongside the Akanetaka "I figured as much, they kept popping up WAY too many times whenever Uranus and Neptune were around."

Akanetaka cooed in agreement, the two airborne creatures moving to follow the rogue senshi, knowing all too well that Mamoru would be moving towards the Shrine.

* * *

_Hikawa shrine... _

"Congratulations Usagi-chan!" the girls called out, clapping their hands together as the pigtailed blonde blew out the candles on her cake.

"Congratulations." Lelouch applauded, smiling charmingly while Yuichiro pulled a party popper, covering Artemis and Luna with confetti, much to their annoyance and the girls amusement "Did you make a wish?"

"Yep, but I'm not telling!" Usagi countered, earning a fresh round of giggles from the group, only to slump in her seat, he blue eyes downcast.

"Is something wrong, Usagi-chan?" Ami wondered, the shy bluenette eyeing her first, closest friend in concern, even as the laughter died away "Did something happen?"

"I…I slapped Mamo-chan on the cheek today…" Usagi admitted, earning cries of stunned alarm from her friends, and a quirked brow from Lelouch while Yuichiro blinked in surprise "It was kinda spontaneous…" she admitted, twiddling her fingers as she blushed in embarrassment "But I just couldn't forgive him for forgetting when my birthday was…"

"Maybe he didn't KNOW?" Lelouch wondered, causing the girls to look at him "Think about it, how long have you been going out? Have you ever once told him when your birthday is?"

"Of course I-!" Usagi began, only to trail off, a stunned expression on her face, even as the rest of the girls looked at her expectantly "Oh…now that you mention it…" she tapped her head with an embarrassed smile "I guess I DID forget to tell him!"

"Good grief…" Lelouch chuckled, shaking his head as the rest of the girl's facefaulted at the pigtailed blonde's admission "Poor Mamoru-san…poor guy probably didn't know what hit him."

"B-But! If you truly love one another! Then you just know these things!" Usagi insisted trying to defend herself as the girls looked at her in surprise.

"Oh? Really?" Lelouch wondered, honestly intrigued by the girls logic "Then I suppose you know what Mamoru-san's birthday is?"

"Of course I do!" Usagi declared proudly, only to wither slightly in the face of the expectant silence that followed "L-Let's see…October 10th is sports day…December 25th is Christmas…" she sweatdropped, rubbing the back of her head in embarrassment "I FORGOT!"

"Good grief…" Lelouch chuckled, shaking his head at the girl's antics even as the rest of the Senshi pulled themselves off the floor, having collapsed once again, only to quirk a brow as she took off with a sound like a gunshot, yelling over her shoulder that she had to apologize to 'Mamo-chan' even as she raced towards the shrine gate "I suppose YOU know Rei-san's birthday, Yuichiro-san?"

"E-EH?" Yuichiro stammered, startled at being put on the spot, even as Rei's face turned redder than her Senshi skirt at the insinuation "Uh…yeah…April 17th…isn't it?" he asked, looking shyly over at Rei, who's face turned crimson, a sure sign he'd been right.

"What about you, Lamperouge-san?" Ami asked, looking up at the former emperor, blushing slightly as he turned to look at her "I mean, if you don't mind…"

"December 5th." Lelouch supplied, the former emperor unable to help smiling at the girl as he toasted her with his cola "Don't worry, I won't be offended if you forget."

The girls' protests that they'd never forget something so important was cut off as Lelouch's phone went off, the teen whipping it out, eyes narrowing as he gazed at the signal displayed on his screen. "Sorry ladies, but it looks like my time off has been cancelled." He offered, smiling apologetically at the girls, before shooting a sideways look at Yuichiro, who nodded solemnly "We'll continue this some other time."

"I'd better get going too." Yuichiro muttered, earning a look of confusion from the girls even as Lelouch walked off "The elder wanted me to do some chores before hitting the sack, if I don't get them out of the way now he'll give me hell!"

* * *

_An hour later... _

"CENICIENTA!" the newest Daimon cried, standing tall as she loomed over the startled forms of Usagi and Mamoru, having transformed the moment the blonde had set one dainty foot into the glass slippers. Her skin was the same crystalline emerald as the slippers had been, and her body was shapely and toned, almost Amazon worthy, which was accentuated by the golden armor she wore, like some sort of warrior maiden.

Her armored skirt was encrusted with emeralds while her stomach was bare beneath her golden chest-plate and shoulder pads. On her head was a golden 'legionary' helmet, with a slipper much like the one she'd been in place of plumage. Her red eyes were a bright in contrast to the rest of her emerald body, and her voice, for something so buff, was surprisingly girly "I'll take your pure heart that feels love for this guy!"

"W-what the…?" Usagi stammered backing away from the Daimon in alarm, unable to believe that SHE was the latest target. Although considering how most of the Senshi had been attacked at some point, she REALLY shouldn't have been surprised.

"Usako!" Mamoru called out, dashing towards the Daimon, intent on rescuing his girlfriend from having her heart stolen, only to be backhanded by Cenicienta, sending him crashing into the construction site behind them.

"Get out of the way-CIENTA!" the Daimon called out, scowling at the man in annoyance, before turning her attention back to her target, grabbing Usagi by the shoulders and pushing her back against a nearby store window.

"N-NO!" Usagi yelled, the blonde, I a surprising show of stubbornness, lifting her leg up and actually KICKING the startled Daimon repeatedly in the face "No-no-no-no-no-no-!"

"Come on!" Cenicienta muttered, grimacing as Usagi ground her foot into the Daimon's cheek in a bid to hold it off "Just calm down already-Cienta!"

"Damn..." Usagi grit out, grimacing as she struggled to hold the Daimon off, reaching for her Henshin brooch "In this case…! MOON COSMIC POWER-!"

She got no further, as Cenicienta slapped the brooch out of her hands, the pigtailed blonde looking on in alarm as it clattered off out of sight. "You tried to PUNCH me with that?" Cenicienta demanded, having apparently not noticed the words her captive had been reciting "You're a tremendously dangerous person-Cienta!" she exclaimed, pushing forwards, Usagi's eyes widening as her shoulders phased THROUGH the window behind her, holding her in place.

"Now you can't fight back-Cienta!" Cenicienta declared, stepping back with a confident smile, flexing her shapely arm, causing her Black Star Tattoo to appear on her bicep, Usagi's screams of agony starting up as the Heart Snatching Beam slammed into her chest. While this was going on, a familiar pair was watching from the shadows, though with admittedly less patience than before.

"Uranus…" Neptune spoke up, the aquamarine Senshi looking to her partner in concern, gripping her arms tightly as Usagi's screams of agony continued "Should we help her?"

"She might be the owner of a talisman…" Uranus muttered, though the short-haired senshi's words seemed to lack her usual conviction as she grimaced at Usagi's screams.

"You want to save her, don't you?" Neptune noted, smiling at her partner in understanding, causing Uranus to blink in shock "It's written all over your face." She pointed out teasingly, only to turn serious "In which case, what will you do if she DOES possess a talisman?"

Uranus' reply was cut short as a brilliant light began to emanate from Usagi's chest, the Senshi looking on in surprise as an exceptionally bright Heart Crystal emerged. "Oh!" Cenicienta exclaimed, the Daimon looking excited as she continued to extract the crystal from it's host "This must be the light of a Talisman-Cienta!"

Uranus and Neptune grimaced, moving to step in and intervene, Talisman or not, only tp pull up short as a Rose lashed out, preventing Cenicienta from claiming the Crystal, allowing it to return to Usagi.

"A Pure Heart is a brilliant light that brightens the Darkness of Night!" a voice called out, the group looking up to see Tuxedo-Kamen Perched atop a nearby crane "I will protect that brilliance of the Pure Hearts at all cost!" he declared, leaping from the crane, tossing a plethora of roses at the silent Cenicienta, trapping the Daimon in a barrier of magical roses while he checked on Usagi, the two of them leaping clear before Cenicienta could break free of her restraints.

"Where did they go-Cienta!" the Daimon wailed, looking around in alarm, annoyed that her target had escaped so quickly, even as Kaolinite appeared in a flash of Red "Ah! Kaolinite-sama! I'm sorry to report we ran into an unexpected obstacle."

"I saw…" Kaolinite admitted, scowling at the remains of the rose barrier, cursing Tuxedo mask and his interference not for the first time "Look for her immediately!" she ordered, sending the Daimon off to search, only to blink as she caught sight of something by her foot "This is…!"

* * *

And thus, the begining of the end...

What has Kaolinite discovered?

Will USagi survive this encounter?

And just where were the Riders during all this?

Tune in next time to find out!


	21. Chapter 21

Whooo! Been a while!

sorry bout that folks, family obligations been getting in the way, plus I'm on the opposite side of the planet right now, trying to avoid being spray painted by reveling Emiraties, what with it being national day and all.

But you don't want to hear about me, you want fiction, well here it is.

* * *

Shattered Glass.

"This is…!" Kaolinite exclaimed, her eyes widening as she recognized the strange, heart-shaped pendant that had adorned the uniform of Sailor Moon whenever the pig-tailed Senshi had made an appearance "It can't be…" she muttered, stooping down to pick up the brooch "could that girl be-!"

A savage snarl filled the air, the redhead looking on in surprise as a little blue and silver wolf lunged at her face, forcing her to back away from the brooch in alarm, the little lupine figure rounding on it, scooping the brooch up in it's jaws before racing off down the street, disappearing round the corner before Kaolinite could even think to snap her fingers.

"What the devil?" the redhead exclaimed, more startled than angry at the sight of the little, almost crystalline creature "Was that…another Daimon?" she wondered, blinking in confusion, her eyes narrowing in suspicion "Are the Witches 5 acting without my instruction?" she pondered features grim "I wouldn't put it past those little trollops to try and steal my thunder…" she smirked "Still, not that it matters, without that pendant, the girl can't become Sailor Moon!"

"Kaolinite-sama!" Cenicienta chirped, the crystalline crony waving at her from an alleyway, pointing up at a pair of shadowy figures that were leaping from rooftop to rooftop "I found them!"

"Follow them!" Kaolinite ordered, tracking the pair with her eyes even as Cenicienta cleared all forty stories of the building in a single leap "Let's see how well you do WITHOUT your powers, Sailor Moon."

* * *

_With lulu... _

"Are you sure this is the direction the signal was coming from?" Lelouch demanded, the teen steering the Side-Bashaar through the streets, Yuichiro riding in the sidecar, Lelouch's phone held in his hands.

"I'm positive!" the Oni Rider declared, peering at the display screen determinedly as they raced down the streets "The signals coming in loud and clear! The Daimon thing's definitely on the move!"

"Must be moving along the rooftops then…" Lelouch deduced, the former emperor's eyes narrowing at the logic "After all, you'd think someone would have noticed and started panicking if it really was moving that freely otherwise."

"True that…" Yuichiro muttered, only to blink, looking down at his Henshin brace as the strings began to strum, the Oni Rider glancing around only for his eyes to widen under his hair "Lelouch-san! Pull over!"

"What?" Lelouch wondered, looking around, only to blink as he caught sight of what had caught Yuichiro's eyes, pulling over at the nearest sidewalk, right next to where a Ruriokami was standing, the little blue wolf waiting for them.

"Wonder what on earth it's doing here?" Yuichiro wondered, reaching down to scoop the little lupine figure into his hand, only to blink as it dropped the red object in it's mouth into his lap, before changing back into a disk "What the? What is this?"

"Trouble…" Lelouch muttered, his eyes narrowing at the sight of Sailor Moon's Henshin Brooch, the former Emperor revving the engine of Side Bashaar as he stared ahead "We need to move now!" he cried, grabbing the phone from Yuichiro "C3!"

"Already on it." the Caucasus Zecter reported over the phone, her tone serious "I'm following Meatball head now, she's with Haruka and Michiru, headed for Tokyo tower."

"Haruka and Michiru?" Lelouch wondered, the former Emperor quirking a brow in honest surprise while Yuichiro held on for dear life "What are THOSE two doing there?"

"If I had to wager a guess, I'd say it's because they're Uranus and Neptune." C3 opined, waiting patiently for Lelouch's reply "You don't seem surprised." She noted, sounding mildly upset.

"Even if i COULDN'T see through whatever glamor protects their identities, I would've figured it out a while back." Lelouch admitted, his tone grim "They always seemed to show up just before something happened, and when one was absent, the corresponding Senshi was missing too."

"Like the night at the recital with Michiru." C3 deduced, her tone approving "Good to see you're staying on the ball." She paused "Head's up, Meatball head just went inside and the tower shut down."

"We'll be there in a minute." Lelouch assured her, hanging up and pocketing the phone, revving the engine again, tearing down the street, heedless of Yuichiro's cries of alarm.

* * *

_with the senshi..._

"No Good!" Sailor Jupiter grunted, the tall Senshi of Thunder struggling to force the barricades which had come down, sealing off the Tokyo tower.

"Looks like it's sealed up pretty tightly." Artemis noted, the pale Mau looking up at the towering, iconic structure grimly, the Senshi having gathered here after Usagi, still unable to transform, had gone running off on her own.

"Looks like we'll have to bust it open!" Jupiter declared, stepping back and preparing to lash out at the door with her Thunder, only for Mars to hold up a hand, stalling her.

"It won't do any good." The Fire Senshi proclaimed, her tone grim "There's a powerful barrier all over the front of the tower." She glanced to the side "We'd be better off taking the stairs…"

"That seems like the best idea…" Mercury admitted, only to trail off as the sound of a motorbike drew their attention, the Senshi's eyes widening as a familiar looking machine and sidecar pulled up alongside them.

"Hey." Caucasus greeted, the Golden Rider in his Rider Form as he dismounted from the Side-Bashaar along with Yuuki "Thought I recognized those outfits. So this is where the party is."

"How can you joke at a time like THIS?" Mars demanded, looking at the Golden Rider in annoyance, causing Yuuki to flinch "And who the heck's THIS guy?"

"Kamen Rider Yuuki." Caucasus replied, speaking up for the understandably nervous Oni-Rider before he could make a mistake "He's new to the job, so I'm showing him the ropes."

"Pleasure to meet you, Yuuki-san." Mercury greeted, the Senshi of Ice nodding towards the guitar-carrying Rider "Thank you for your assistance the other day."

"Aw it weren't nothing…" Yuuki assured her, rubbing the back of his horned head while bowing towards the Senshi in embarrassment "Just doing my job."

"Quit flirting rookie." Caucasus joked, the Golden Rider chuckling as Mercury's face turned redder than Mars' fuku "You've got a Girl already, haven't you?"

"That-I mean…we aren't like that!" Yuuki exclaimed, throwing his arms in the air, only to flinch, twiddling his fingers nervously under the older Rider's stare "I mean…I haven't even asked her out yet…"

"What are you, Ten?" Mars demanded, looking at the Oni Rider in exasperation, though her features had softened from the scowl she'd worn when the word 'flirt' was mentioned "A woman won't wait around forever you know! If you don't hurry up and ask her, someone else will beat you to it!"

"Caucasus-san?" Mercury wondered, looking over at the Golden Rider in concern as he leant against a wall, shoulders shaking as he covered his faceplate with one hand "Are you alright."

"Oh God…The irony…" Caucasus choked, struggling to keep himself from bursting out laughing at the pair's predicament, only to clear his throat and turn to the group "In any case, I'm assuming since she isn't here with you, that 'Sailor Moon' is trapped inside then?" Caucasus noted, his tone calm, though he stressed the Senshi's title on purpose, though only Mercury, and the two cats, seemed to catch on, their eyes widening in surprise "And that she's trapped in civilian form?"

"Yes…" Mercury nodded, looking concerned as she realized what the Rider's inflection on her leader's title meant "She is, as is Tuxedo-Kamen!"

"We were just about to storm in and rescue her!" Sailor Venus declared, pumping her arm in readiness, a determined expression on her face as she scooped up the Henshin Brooch, holding it above her heat triumphantly "And our plan to protect her identity is FOOLPROOF!"

"Why do I not like the sound of that?" Caucasus wondered, the two Rider's sweatdropping at the sheer confidence that the Senshi of Love was giving off, which was even unnerving her fellow Senshi.

* * *

With Usagi...

"Uranus…? Neptune…?" Usagi wondered, peering up at the elder Senshi in surprise as life returned to her body "You guys saved me?"

"I'm glad…" Uranus admitted, the short-haired blonde Senshi's features lined with relief at the pigtailed girl's recovery. The idea that they'd have to take her Heart if she possessed a talisman had been strangely abhorrent to her, the relief she felt when she'd confirmed, with her own hands, that she didn't couldn't be described in words.

"Huh, not that it matters…" Kaolinite called out, the Senshi turning to glare at the redhead, who smirked at Usagi confidently "It doesn't matter if your heart crystal is a Talisman or not…you're not walking out of here alive…SAILOR MOON!"

"What?" Uranus gaped, the elder Senshi turning to stare at the pig-tailed blonde before her in alarm, a matching look of shock on Neptune's face, even as Usagi flinched at her cover being blown, and by an ENEMY no less!

"That girl isn't Sailor Moon!" a voice called out, the group whipping round to see the rest of the Sailor Senshi standing off to the side, a figure at their front, hands crossed beneath her chest, where a familiar heart-shaped brooch shone in the light peering through the windows.

"It can't be!" Kaolinite gasped, looking at the shadowy figure in alarm, and understandable disbelief alongside Cenicienta "You can't be!"

"Stalking after an innocent girl's pure heart, and then mistaking her for ME on top of it?" the shadowy figure called out, her tone accusing "That's a thousand insults worth swallowing a THOUSAND needles for! In the name of the Moon, I will PUNISH YOU!"

'No way…' Usagi stammered, sweatdropping as the light shifted, revealing the face of her impersonator in all her curly, pigtailed glory 'Minako-chan-?'

"Hold on…" Kaolinite muttered, eyeing 'Sailor Moon' with narrowed eyes, taking in her curlier, SHORTER pigtails and general appearance suspiciously "Something seems different…"

"What do you mean?" Sailor Moon demanded, even as the rest of the senshi began to act shiftily, wondering if the gig was up "Can't you tell who I am by looking at me?"

"Then who the hell is THIS girl Cienta?" Cenicienta demanded, pointing at Usagi, who recoiled from the crystalline digit as if it were a loaded gun.

"I have no clue." 'Sailor Moon' countered, shrugging her shoulders dismissively, a mocking smile on her face, aimed at the Daimon, but felt by Usagi "Maybe she's a fan of mine or something?"

"I somehow DOUBT that." Kaolinite countered, her eyes narrowing in suspicion as she glared at the Senshi in suspicion "Where's Sailor Venus?" she asked, smirking as the Senshi jerked, sweating nervously "Oh? Don't tell me she's abandoned her leader to her doom?"

"I did not!" a voice called out from the shadows, the Senshi whipping around to see Sailor Venus standing in her signature pose, though her face was shadowed "How could the Senshi of Love abandon her friend like that!"

'M-Minako-chan?' Usagi stammered, looking between 'Sailor Moon' and Sailor Venus down the corridor, even as the Outer Senshi sighed in relief 'How…Who…?'

"What a farce…" Uranus scoffed, getting to her feet with a snort "Not only can't you tell the talismans from regular crystals, but now you're having trouble telling your enemies apart from civilians."

"DON'T YOU MOCK ME!" Kaolinite snarled, her power causing the glass of the tower to explode, stalling the Senshi in their tracks "This time I'll finish you off for SURE!"

"Huh…" Uranus scoffed, smirking mockingly at the redhead even as she and Neptune dusted themselves off "this won't take long." She promised, the two of them leaping onto the roof of the tower through the hole in the ceiling Kaolinite had caused.

"You won't escape!" Kaolinite snarled, turning to her Daimon minion "Cenicienta! Take care of Sailor Moon and her brats while I deal with those two!"

"Hai-Cienta!" the Daimon agreed, turning to face the Senshi while Kaolinite vanished in a blur of red, er hand morphing into a blade "Now I'll fix you!"

"NOW!" a voice yelled, Cenicienta looking up in surprise as a figure burst out from behind 'Sailor Venus', knocking the Senshi to the floor, revealing her to be nothing more than a cardboard cut out of the popular Sailor V from the gift shop.

"What the Cienta?" the Daimon yelped, backing up in alarm, only to yelp as her assailant bore down on her, raising her weapon to defend herself, only to almost buckle under the sheer force of her enemy's own "Who are you, Cienta?"

"Howling White Thunder!" the figure called out, Usagi's eyes widening as she recognized him as the Rider from the other day "Kamen Rider Yuuki!"

"Never heard of you!" Cenicienta snarled, pushing the rider back, unleashing a storm of crystals from her mouth, only for the Rider to deflect them by spinning his guitar before him, sending the crystals flying right back at her "Ack! Can't see!"

"RIDER BEAT!" a voice declared behind her, Usagi's eyes widening as Caucasus appeared behind the Daimon, his foot already moving towards her head in a Tachyon empowered spin kick, Cenicienta exploding without every seeing what hit her.

* * *

_As the dust settles... _

"Yatta!" 'Sailor Moon' cheered, the blonde Senshi gripping her bicep as she made a fist with her free hand "Way to go, Caucasus-san! Yuuki-san!"

"Aw shucks…" Yuuki chuckled, the Oni Rider rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment at the compliment "I didn't do much…"

"Don't sell yourself short." Mercury countered, looking on in amazement as a Ruriokami prowled around Luna and Artemis, the Mau eyeing the Disk animal warily "If you hadn't recorded Venus' voice, we'd have been sunk!"

"But it was Caucasus' idea to use the Sailor V cut-out." The Oni Rider pointed out, turning to face the other Rider, who was leaning against the wall again "Caucasus-san?"

"I don't know which is worse…" Caucasus muttered, sounding like he was having an aneurysm as he palmed his faceplate in exasperation "The fact I actually went along with this plan, or the fact it actually WORKED."

"Hey! It was a GOOD plan!" 'Sailor Moon' countered, the disguised Venus putting her fists on her hips as she pouted at the Golden Rider "I TOLD you it was foolproof!"

"Yes, but I was under the assumption that Kaolinite was no fool." Caucasus replied wryly, causing the Senshi to sweatdrop at his logic "Whatever respect I had for the woman just went down the toilet. And there wasn't a lot to begin with."

"Ouch…" Usagi grimaced, flinching at the jab as she hugged the freed Tuxedo-Kamen, his prison having dissolved with Cenicienta death. Even SHE couldn't believe that the redhead had fallen for the ruse. Hell, even her DAIMON had seemed suspicious!

An explosion rocked the tower, the Senshi crying out in alarm as they stumbled, Yuuki catching a startled Mars, while Caucasus braced himself against the wall.

"Damn…" the Golden Rider muttered, glancing up at the hole in the observatory roof with a scowl "Looks like those three are getting serious up there." He noted, turning to Usagi, reaching behind his back and pulling out, to her surprise, her Henshin Brooch, tossing it into her lap "Transform and get out of here, Yuuki and I will back up Uranus and Neptune."

"Wait!" Usagi exclaimed, the Senshi and Mau looking at the Rider in alarm at the fact he'd had the Henshin brooch all this time, only for him to vanish with a cry of "CLOCK UP!" taking Yuuki with him.

"GREAT! Now he knows who you are Moon Brain!" Mars declared, the brunette looking both alarmed and angered by the revelation.

"Actually, I think he's known her identity for a while now…" Mercury countered, the Senshi of ice drawing her colleagues' attention to herself "The way he spoke earlier made it clear he knew who Sailor Moon's identity was."

"If he's known who she is for that long…" Jupiter deduced, her eyes widening at a sudden, uncomfortable thought "Then what about the rest of us?"

"It's possible…" Mercury admitted, her tone grim "He has access to fascinating technology, and can move at impossible speeds. I wouldn't be surprised that he knows not only WHO we are, but WHERE we LIVE!"

"This is a grievous breach of security…" Luna muttered, her tone grim "Bad enough Jadeite learned who you were, at least HE didn't live long enough to tell anyone."

"But…Caucasus-san's a good-guy!" Usagi insisted, looking desperately between the group, determined to set them straight "He always helped us out when we needed it!"

"He seems to be pretty close to those Hyenas, Uranus and Neptune." Jupiter pointed out, the Senshi of Thunder still feeling sore about their letting her Heart Crystal be stolen.

"They're not bad guys either!" Usagi insisted, much to her friends' shock "They saved me earlier! Before you guys showed up they restored my Heart Crystal!"

"Really?" Venus wondered, the disguised senshi blinking at her leader and friend, only to thump her chest with a smile "Yosh! Usagi-chan! Transform and let's go help them out!"

"Before that…" Usagi muttered, getting in Venus' face, tears of embarrassment streaming down her cheeks as she patted her fellow blonde on the shoulder "Minako-chan…Please…get rid of that disguise…"

* * *

_On the tower.._.

"Dammit…!" Uranus swore, leaping out of the path of Kaolinite's animated hair, the redhead's maniacal cackles filling the night sky around them "She's gonna blow up the tower at this rate!"

"CLOCK OVER!" a familiar voice called out, the Senshi looking up as a pair of figures appeared nearby, the pale one slumping, looking a little motion sick.

"Walk it off." Caucasus ordered, slapping the Oni Rider on the back, before turning his attention to the trio of women before him "Yo, this a private fight or can anyone join?"

"You!" Kaolinite snarled, glaring at the sight of her most hated enemy, and his little sidekick too it seemed "So you've come to die as well eh?"

"Seriously, what is the DEAL with bad guys targeting Tokyo tower?" the Golden Rider demanded, his tone exasperated, as if he WASN'T facing off against a homicidal redhead with killer hair, literally "I mean, is it the height? The sparkling lights? Or some phallic sense of humor?"

"Couldn't tell ya Gold Bug." Uranus scoffed, snorting in wry amusement as she held her shoulder where a glancing blow from Kaolinite had torn through her Senshi armor, magical enhancements and all.

"It certainly is food for thought…" Neptune agreed, the aquamarine Senshi standing off to the side, eyeing their foe warily "The tower's been rebuilt so many times now…"

"STOP IGNORING ME!" Kaolinite yelled, lashing out with her hair, forcing the group to leap aside to avoid getting entangled in her treacherous tresses.

"I've heard of bad hair days but this is ridiculous." Caucasus muttered, landing in a crouch next to Yuuki, who had his guitar at the ready "Seriously, you gotta spend a fortune just dealing with spilt ends."

"Always with the jokes…" Kaolinite growled, glaring at the Rider in annoyance, only to smirk as she held up a glass slipper, like the one Cenicienta had been formed from, as well as a small phial of pink liquid "Let's see how funny you find THIS."

Caucasus frowned, the Rider eyeing the redhead as she cracked the phial, pouring its contents into the shoe along with Yuuki and the Outers.

"This is a personal experiment of mine." Kaolinite admitted "By combining the Growth Fluid of a Daimon with an item used to CREATE the Daimon…" she smirked as the shoe morphed into a rapier "I gain all the abilities of that Daimon!" she declared, lashing out with the blade, creating a hail of diamonds "In this case: Cenicienta!"

"Caucasus-san!" Yuuki yelled, stepping in front of the Golden Rider, gripping his Guitar before him in both hands "HAAA!" the Oni Rider yelled, strumming his guitar-strings sharply, creating a wall of sound that deflected the oncoming hail.

"Nice." Caucasus applauded, patting the Oni Rider on the shoulder before turning to face Kaolinite head on, the redhead gaping at the Oni Rider in shock "That trick didn't do your Dime-store Daimon any good, did you HONESTLY believe a cheap knock-off would fare any better?"

"D-Dime-store Daimon?" Kaolinite sputtered, gaping at the Rider in alarm, even as anger boiled within her like acid, the redhead wanting to rip the Rider limb from limb, not at his insulting of her experiments, though that rankled quite a bit, but for his belittling of one of her beloved's prize creations "I'LL KILL YOU!"

"Been there, done that, didn't even GET a shirt." Caucasus countered, his tone seemingly bored as he watched Kaolinite advance, her replicated weapon in hand, before slapping the side of his waist, time slowing around him with a cry of "CLOCK UP!" the Rider stepping forward as time seemed to slow around him, getting right in Kaolinite's unknowing face, still set in a mask of anger as she moved like a snail through molasses.

'Wish the helmet came with a retractable visor…' the Rider muttered, sighing whimsically at the memory of his Zero helmet 'I'd have loved getting some more info out of her…' he shrugged offhandedly as he gripped his Zecter 'Oh well…guess that means I'm taking you alive. Aren't YOU lucky?'

"RIDER BEAT!" the Zecter declared, Tachyon energy surging through the Rider's armor, centering in his helmet, his eyes glowing blue as he lashed out with a snap kick, just as his belt called out "CLOCK OVER!" Kaolinite's cry of rage instantly replaced with a choke of agony as she doubled over from the force of the blow, the Redhead sent flying backwards as time resumed, sprawling on her side on the walkway ten feet away.

"Huh, still awake?" Caucasus noted, looking the redhead over as she choked up vomit and blood all over the walkway "Looks like my hunch was right, you DID have a barrier up." He sighed offhandedly "How convenient…for me that is."

"You bastard…" Kaolinite snarled, glaring up at the Rider in distaste, her teeth red with her own blood as she gripped her abused stomach "You think…you've won?"

"Give up." Caucasus ordered, his tone cold "You're outnumbered four to one…" He paused at the sound of approaching footsteps "TEN to one, and you're in no state to keep fighting." He stepped forwards as the Senshi arrived "Plus you aren't fighting anyone with those wounds. Make it easy on yourself and we'll get you medical attention."

"I need no help from you!" Kaolinite countered, snarling at the Rider, gripping her sword in her free hand as she staggered to her feet "I will not…" she grit out, raising the weapon over her head "be pitied…" she slashed down with her blade "by my enemies!"

"Dammit…" Caucasus muttered, reading himself to clock up again to avoid the hail of crystals, only to stumble as Uranus' 'World Shaking' shot past him, the sphere of energy sending the shards right back at the stunned Kaolinite, encasing the redhead in a prison of crystal, the redhead managing one last, desperate plea of 'Professor!', before the crystalline ice formed over her, the Sailor Senshi and Riders unable to do anything but look on in shock as several I-beams, loosened from the explosion and the numerous magical attacks, fell on top of her, the entire section of walkway collapsing into the dark depths below with a sound of shattering glass.

* * *

And everyone's favourite redhead takes a bow, ending the Kaolinite arc.

Next up: The Witches arc!

And boy is mimette going to suffer.


	22. Chapter 22

Yo! Me again, just making up for lost time with a new update.

The following chapters introduce the Witches 5 (shouldn't it be six?), with Eudial first out the gate.

i liked Eudial, out of all the witches she was my favorite (Give you three guesses who my least was), if a single witch had to survive, i wish it would be her.

So sad i've got the script planned out already.

ah well, roll camera!

* * *

New Player.

"Is…Is she gone…?" Sailor Moon wondered, the pigtailed blonde senshi unable to believe what had just happened, the rest of her team looking equally shocked by what had happened to their latest enemy.

Not that they weren't HAPPY Kaolinite was gone, oh no, they had more than enough reason to see the bitch in the red dress off, but it would've been nice to at least TRY to purify her of the evil within, like the Ayakashi sisters had been.

NONE of the Senshi liked having to take a life, even BERYL'S caused Sailor Moon no end of grief, as Queen Mettalia had simply manipulated the woman's jealousy and feelings for Prince Endymion to her advantage.

"Never mind HER." Mars countered, the Senshi of Fire disregarding their latest opponent's apparent demise, looking around the damaged walkway in suspicion "Where did Uranus and Neptune get to?" she demanded, the rest of the Senshi and Tuxedo Kamen looking around to find that the elder Senshi missing, having no doubt taken their leave while the Inners were distracted with watching Kaolinite's frozen form fall to her death.

"Just what the heck is up with those two?" Jupiter wondered, the Senshi of Thunder looking torn between annoyance and confusion as she scratched her head "Why'd they save us at the end like that?"

"I don't think they were saving US." Mars countered, the hotheaded Senshi's eyes narrowing as she turned to glance at Caucasus, who was staring over the rail into the darkness below "Think about it, Caucasus was right in the line of fire of Kaolinite's last attack, he'd have take the worst of that assault if Uranus hadn't stepped in when she did."

"So Uranus-san attacked Kaolinite to save Caucasus-san?" Moon wondered, the leader of the inner Senshi and reincarnated princess of the moon looking confused at her teammate's theory, and unsettled by her suspicion "Doesn't that just prove she's a good guy?"

"It means I was right and there's something going on between those three!" Mars declared, rounding on the Rider with a scowl "Admit it! You're working with them, aren't you?"

"No," Caucasus countered, not looking at the Senshi as he continued to peer into the darkness that lay below the tower "If we WERE, then Uranus wouldn't have interfered with my capturing of Kaolinite."

"Capturing?" Mercury wondered, the blue haired Senshi of Ice looking up at the Golden Rider in surprise, even as Mars frowned in suspicion "Why on earth would you want to capture her?"

"Interrogation." Caucasus supplied, surprising the Senshi once again "I was planning to extract more information about the Death Busters from her before putting her out of her misery."

"You mean TORTURE?" Mercury exclaimed, looking horrified at the idea even as the rest of the Senshi backed away in alarm, even Tuxedo Mask looking a little unsettled by the Gold Rider's admission.

"Nothing so crude." Caucasus snorted, shaking his head in bemusement "I'm not a savage, nor a sadist, and evil psychotic bitch or not, I'm not the kind of guy who gets his kicks hurting defenseless women." He snorted "Not that it matters now, even if she survived being entombed in that ice, the fall and debris probably finished the job."

The Senshi flinched at the imagery, as being shattered like fine china was NOT the way they'd wish anyone to go, only for Sailor Moon to step forward, the pigtailed Senshi looking a little nervous as she approached the Golden Rider.

"Ano…Caucasus-san…" she stammered, shivering slightly as the Rider's glowing blue eyes turned to look at her "I just…wanted to thank you for everything you've done for us…"

"It was nothing…" Caucasus assured her, turning his gaze out towards the city "Besides, what kind of man would I be if I allowed harm to come to such a pretty face?"

"Aww, stop-!" Moon giggled, rubbing the back of her head in embarrassment, only for Mars to clear her throat pointedly, the Senshi flushing as she caught Tuxedo-Kamen's quirked brow "B-But anyway!" she stammered, bowing in appreciation "Thanks for everything, you really helped us out, even though it had nothing to do with you."

"Who says it didn't?" Caucasus countered, causing the Senshi to blink in confusion "Its part of my mission to keep the Death Busters, or anyone really, from destroying the world." He turned to regard the Senshi "If that meant helping out a group of beautiful young women, who am I to complain?"

The Senshi flushed, averting their eyes at the compliment, only to yelp in alarm as the walkway shook, the Tokyo Tower making groaning noises as it began to shake, the group, Riders and Senshi alike, looking up in alarm as more I-beams began to drop from above.

"We need to get out of here!" Tuxedo Kamen called out, grabbing a startled Moon Bridal style in his arms, Artemis and Luna perched on his shoulders as he leapt off the tower.

"Yuuki!" Caucasus called out, the Golden Rider stepping forwards, grabbing Jupiter and Mercury under his own arms, the Oni Rider doing the same for Mars and Venus, the three 'Kamen' warriors leaping from the tower, just as it collapsed beneath them in a roar of metal and shattering glass.

"That was TOO close...!" Yuuki muttered, the Oni-Rider turning to look over his shoulder as he landed next to his fellow 'Kamen' Warriors, setting a flushing Mars and Venus down, the Senshi of fire distancing herself from him fairly quickly, while Venus seemed almost reluctant to leave his embrace "But MAN, she really THRASHED the tower."

"Seems to be a trend..." Caucasus noted wryly, setting Jupiter and Mercury down, the bluenette flushing crimson while the brunette offered her thanks, the golden Rider turning to watch as the tower literally collapsed in on itself "Still, if anything, this pretty much serves as the nail in her coffin...if she survived being frozen and the fall, the debris should finish the job."

"Who cares?" Mars muttered, though she looked a little uncomfortable even as she said it. True, as the first known person to have her heart crystal stolen, she had a particular grudge against the redhead, but as a Sailor Senshi, she couldn't bring herself to continuously HATE someone, and as a priestess, knew it was ill to speak of the dead, even if they HAD been a complete and utter bitch whilst among the living.

"Well," Caucasus muttered, pulling out his phone weapon, converting it to phone mode and dialing in a short code "As interesting as this night has been, it's time we got going." he turned to the Senshi as he spoke "It's getting late, and Yuuki's sensei wants him back early."

"Eh?" Yuuki wondered, looking confused at the other rider's words, only to stiffen as Caucasus sent him a look that transmitted the Golden Rider's intentions rather well "Oh, yeah, he DID say that!"

"Wait! Rei began, stepping forwards, only to cry out in alarm as something HUGE leapt up from the street below, the Senshi of fire gaping up at the Side-Bashaar in alarm as it towered over her "Wha-What the-?"

"Ciao~!" Caucasus called out, leaping behind the controls of his mech, Yuuki clambering on right behind him "And Sailor Moon? Try not to lose your Henshin Brooch in future." his tone turned long suffering "If I have to go through with another of Venus' plans because of it, you'll regret it."

"That plan was FOOL PROOF!" Venus declared, looking hurt and affronted, only for Caucasus to turn the Side-Bashaar around, the walker-mech leaping off the roof of the building, transforming into a motorcycle and side-car and racing off the moment it touched the ground.

* * *

_Death buster HQ..._

"It's me…" the Professor muttered, his tone mildly annoyed, as he'd been forced to abandon a promising experiment in order to answer the phone, as Kaolinite still hadn't returned from her latest assignment. "What?" he demanded, sounding momentarily surprised as the person on the other end of the line repeated their report "I see…So Kaolinite has fallen, has she?" he noted, his tone flat, as if he'd expected as much from his assistant "Very well, you are to continue where she left off." He instructed, his tone cold and professional "I'm counting on you, Eudial-kun…do NOT fail as she did."

"Hai, Professor…" the voice at the end of the phone acknowledged, the figure hanging up, a smile forming on her lips, the light from her computer screen glinting off of a pair of spectacles and a white lab coat, which hugged her appealing figure rather snugly "Rest assured, I shall deliver where Kaolinite failed."

She smiled as she watched the images on her screen flicker, watching as Caucasus mopped the floor with her predecessor's Daimon, clicking the pause button as the rider turned to face the screen, his image frozen as he unknowingly turned to face the camera.

"Such FASCINATING technology…" she marveled, reaching up to stroke the image of the Rider's faceplate "I can't WAIT to take a look under the hood."

* * *

_Hikawa Shrine..._

"Something bothering you, Lelouch-kun?" Hino asked, the Riders having returned to the shrine ahead of the Senshi, in order to help Yuuichiro get a fresh pair of clothes "I trust you didn't run into any problems out there?"

"Not as such." Lelouch countered, though his features were marred by a scowl as he sat in front of the priest his arms crossed before him "I'm just a little annoyed with myself...I thought if I could take Kaolinite alive, we could get some information out of her."

"A valid strategy, but I doubt it would have worked." Hino admitted, shaking his head as he held up a finger "From what little I've seen of this Kaolinite, she didn't seem the type to betray whoever it is she's working for."

"This 'Professor' you mean?" Lelouch muttered, recalling the redhead's dying cry even as Yuichiro slipped into the room. At least NOW he had some idea as to what his enemy was, there couldn't be many 'professors' with a degree in making monsters after all.

"You think he'll keep up the attacks now that his assistant is gone?" Yuichiro wondered, the Oni Rider sounding hopeful that the man wouldn't, only for Lelouch shook his head.

"I doubt losing ONE assistant is likely to cause him any undue distress." Lelouch muttered, shaking his head in dismissal, "Besides, Daimon Seeds can be deployed remotely, once they find a suitable target, they simply lock onto it and give chase."

"Which means Kaolinite was merely present as a means to verify whether or not the Heart Crystals stolen by her minions contained these 'Talismans' you spoke of." Hino deduced, his tone grim "Such a waste."

"If you mean a waste of information, then I'll agree..." Lelouch countered, sighing in exasperation at the old man's antics "Personally, I've had enough temperamental redhead's in my life."

* * *

_Death Buster Hq... _

Behind a steel door marked 'Witches 5', a young, redheaded woman in a lab-coat sneezed, rubbing her nose daintily with one finger.

'A cold?' Eudial wondered offhandedly 'Doubtful.' she countered almost instantly, sniffing daintily as she turned back to her computer terminal, her fingers blurring over the keyboard as she looked over the data she'd gathered on their past, rather KAOLINITE'S past failures.

'Such a waste of good Daimon...' she sighed, shaking her head, the images on the screen reflecting off her stylish glasses, the light glinting off a red-star earring which adorned her right ear 'Honestly, Kaolinite-sempai's strategies were sound, she just couldn't seem to factor the unknown into her equations.'

She turned her gaze to the images of the Kamen Riders, more accurately, to those of Caucasus, looking on with interest as the Rider shed his outer armor, seeming to vanish from sight, only to reappear, delivering a punishing blow to her predecessor's gut.

'She ESPECIALLY underestimated the Rider...' Eudial noted, her tone mocking, though a light of interest shone in her eyes as she traced the shape of the Rider's armor with a kind of HUNGER, not because of how the bodysuit clung to his frame, but out of a desire to see how it WORKED 'Truly a FASCINATING specimen...'

The phone at the side of her terminal rang, slicing through the relative silence of the lab, her colleagues not pausing in the slightest in their own experiments even as she picked it up after the first ring.

"Yes, Professor?" she answered, knowing instinctively who it was, as there was only ONE person, other than her colleagues, who knew her direct line "This is Eudial, how may I be of assistance?"

"I've read through your reports," the Professor replied on the other end, the enigmatic creator of the Daimon sounding pleased "I must admit they are rather well done."

"Thank you." Eudial offered, smiling at the compliment, as any form of praise from the Professor was a rarity indeed, even as the fingers of her free hand blurred over her keyboard "I've already located a new Pure Heart Carrier with the potential to possess a Talisman." she relayed, bringing up the woman's profile "She's a Taiko player who's dedication to her art has earned her some minor renown. I believe there is a high probability that her Pure Heart contains a Talisman."

"As expected of Eudial-kun..." the professor applauded over the phone "Very well, I'll entrust this to you, and since your reports indicated it would seem prudent that we switch tactics, I shall PERSONALLY assign a Daimon befitting the target to serve as your bodyguard."

"Thank you, Professor." Eudial offered, smiling as she hung up, saving her work and setting her workstation on standby as she got to her feet, walking towards the end of the lab, where her personal mode of transportation, a white minivan with a speaker attached to the roof, was parked at the end of a conveyer belt. Within moments, the machine rattled to life, a sign that the automated Daimon producing equipment was in effect, Eudial looking on with a smug smile as she watched her minion arrive, prepackaged in a large metal box emblazoned with the traditional Black Star of the Death Busters.

After securing her precious cargo in the boot of her car, the redhead calmly climbed into the driver's seat, buckling up as the floor of the lab moved, revealing a platform, the redhead waiting patiently, save for the tapping of her finger on the steering wheel, for the process to stop. When it did, a bright light appearing at the end of the tunnel, she released the clutch, slamming her foot on the accelerator, the minivan erupting from a subway staircase, startling the shocked residents of Juuban as it tore down the road like something out of a racing anime.

* * *

_juuban cafe... _

'It's been quiet lately...' Lelouch muttered, the teen's eyes narrowed in suspicion as he sat in a cafe, sipping a cup of coffee whilst staring at his silent mobile.

Contrary to Yuichiro's hopefulness, Lelouch didn't believe for a second that the Death Busters would simply roll over because one of their own had kicked the bucket. The fact that there had been no response to Kaolinite's plea for help was proof of that. However, despite that, there had been no Daimon Activity at all since then, which meant either they were biding time, trying to recover their losses, or were starting to change tactics.

"Hino's right, you should relax more." C3 noted, the Caucasus Zecter buzzing down next to her Rider's ear as she spoke "The Death Busters haven't made a move yet, if you keep this up you're going to go bald."

"It's BECAUSE they haven't made a move that I'm so edgy." Lelouch countered, sipping his coffee through pursed lips "Whenever an enemy goes quiet, it usually means they're regrouping to rethink their strategies."

"Or they're retreating." C3 noted, her tone optimistic as it was coy "Though I'll admit, that's about as likely as Yuichiro figuring out that Rei is Sailor Mars."

Lelouch snorted, unable to believe how immensely dense the Oni-Rider actually was. Oh he could believe that Usagi was Sailor moon, there weren't that many blonde Japanese girls that could pull off THAT hairstyle, he hadn't seemed to click that the rest of the Senshi were the girl's friends, nor that Mars was his crush.

"I suppose it's for the best..." he muttered offhandedly "Last thing we need is him calling out her name by accident and revealing who he is."

"Well, not unless he's planning to propose..." C3 chuckled, her tone amused as she buzzed amiably at the Oni-Rider's predicament "Not that THAT'S likely to happen any time soon either."

"HOT!" a familiar voice screamed causing Lelouch to choke on his coffee, the former emperor whipping round to see Rei Hino gripping her head, which had apparently been doused in piping hot coffee, the senshi of fire squatting in a most unladylike fashion as the poor waitress tried to wipe her down, the rest of her friends looking on in nervous concern.

"Never a dull moment with that bunch." C3 noted, the Zecter chuckling in bemusement as Rei rounded on her friends, demanding to know what they were doing there, only to ignore them in favor of facing the young brunette she shared a booth with, tripping the waitress up and leaning over her expectantly "We should tape this, could make a fortune."

Lelouch scoffed, shaking his head in dismissal even as he eyed the young woman Rei was staring so intently at, watching her leave with a curious stare, before deciding to see what all the fuss was about, as he'd learned from experience with them that anything the Senshi got REMOTELY involved in seemed to lead to an encounter with the enemy.

"Quite the nasty spill you took there." he noted, smiling charmingly at the girls as they gaped at him in surprise, having managed to sneak up on them again "Maybe you should switch to Decaff, Hino-san, you'd be less jumpy for one."

"Or I could switch to new FRIENDS..." Rei muttered, glaring pointedly at the rest of the senshi, who had the manners to look abashed, poor Ami hiding her face in her book as usual "Honestly, what was the big idea sneaking around and spying on me?"

"We saw you crash your bike outside and wanted to see what you were in such a hurry for..." Ami stammered, eyeing the volatile fire priestess nervously.

"I'm helping the Juuban Festival Promotion Committee..." the priestess admitted, her temper subsiding in the face of the shy bluenette's concern, the brunette taking a seat at the booth, the rest of the Senshi piling in around her while Lelouch opted to stand "We're a group dedicated to making the festival a little more exciting every year."

"Quite the commendable vocation." Lelouch noted, though internally, it gave him flashbacks of his time on the Student Council, particularly whenever Milly got it into her head to throw a festival.

"Uh thanks..." Rei muttered, flattered despite herself "Though I'm not really a part of the committee, a friend of Grandpa's practically begged me to help out, so I didn't have a choice."

"She SAYS that..." Usagi note, her tone sly as she smiled at her hotheaded friend coyly, causing the priestess t jolt "But I'll bet she volunteered, Rei-chan LOVES festivals and putting on shows like she did earlier."

"YOU CAUSED THAT!" Rei snapped, her features red as she got to her feet, Usagi recoiling in the face of her friend's rage, realizing she'd gone too far.

"Now, now Rei-chan." Minako chuckled, waving her hand dismissively "Everyone makes mistakes now and again." she nodded sagely "It's like the saying goes: Even Kappa get upset stomachs."

"I think you mean 'Even Kappa Can Drown in a River'." Ami corrected, Lelouch sweat dropping as Minako tried to cover her mistake up by playing with her straw.

"Should I assume therefore that the young woman who just left a moment ago is somehow associated with your work for the committee?" Lelouch asked, trying to get the conversation back on track.

"Her name is Tohno Maya." Rei revealed, holding up her finger from ephasis "She's a prodigy when it comes to playing the Taiko!"

"I see!" Ami noted, the bluenette's eyes widening in understanding as she smiled at her friend from across the table "Then you were negotiating with her to come and play for the Juuban festival?"

"Yup!" Rei admitted, nodding her head with pride "If Tohno-san comes to play for us at the festival, I'm pretty sure that she would make it more exciting."

"Wow!" Usagi exclaimed, the pigtailed blonde looking amazed at the idea "Hey Rei-chan!" she asked, turning to beam at her friend hopefully "Can I play with the Taiko too?"

"There aren't any drums for you to play with." Rei countered wryly, only to pause, a sinister smile forming on her face "On second thoughts...there IS one drum you can play at the festival..."

* * *

_Lulu's pov... _

'Good posture, nice leer, but she loses points because it's obvious her target hasn't a clue she's being played.' Lelouch snorted, shaking his head in amusement as Usagi cheered excitedly, the former Emperor ignoring the blonde in favor of looking out of the store, in the direction the Taiko player had gone 'Still...a prodigy with a love of her profession...' he mused, recalling the fire Senshi's description of the woman's character, even as he memorized her features 'Sounds like a potential target to me.'

"Lamperouge-san?" a polite voice called out shyly, the former emperor turning to find the Senshi looking up at him expectantly "Will you be coming to the festival too?"

"You have to come!" Minako insisted, beaming up at the teen excitedly "It's so cool! There's games and rides and food stands." she winked coyly "And we'll all be in yukata too!"

"Those are summer Kimono, right?" Lelouch noted, recalling Kaguya showing him, or rather, showing ZERO a few she intended to where when they got married. He'd admit, the Japanese knew how to make a practical, stylish outfit, though they didn't seem to be as big a deal as Tamaki and Shougo kept making them out to be.

'Probably because Kaguya was a CHILD.' he reminded himself, shaking his head in bemusement at the memory of his 'Wife', the Black Knight's 'Goddess of Victory' and Suzaku's cousin 'She looked cute in them, but from what Tamaki said, the Yukata's true appeal could only be appreciated on a woman.'

"Sounds like Fun." he admitted aloud, smiling gratefully at the girls "I'll probably swing by later on, I've got a few errands to run earlier."I haven't been to a proper Japanese Festival since I was a kid."

"You came to Japan as a child, Lamperouge-san?" Ami wondered, looking at the foreign teen in surprise, while the rest of the Senshi leaned in, eager to hear more.

"I was about ten at the time." Lelouch admitted, which wasn't technically a lie, as he and Nunnally HAD been sent to what would be later known as Area 11 at that age "I stayed with a friend at his father's family home, somewhere in the mountains."

"Must've been an old family to have ties out that way." Rei noted, nodding her head in understanding, as she was used to dealing with such people "Why'd you leave?"

"His father died." Lelouch revealed, earning a look of shock from the girls "Rather, he was murdered in his own home, caused quite a scandal." he shrugged and turned on his heel "Needless to say, I wasn't able to go to many festivals after that."

"Lelouch-san..." Usagi wondered, the Senshi looking after the foreign teen as he walked off, their features torn between pity and wonderment.

* * *

Lelouch does laying on the teen drama doesn't he? if life was a Tv show he'd be the brooding foreign exchange student.

ah well, more to come


	23. Chapter 23

40 years ago, seven emirates came together to form what is now known as the U.A.E

Out of respect, I'll be posting seven chapters for this fic, of which this is the third.

enjoy.

* * *

New Moon, Old Flame!

After leaving the Senshi in the cafe, Lelouch had gone on patrol before returning to his apartment, determined to do a little background research on the Taiko prodigy that was Tohno Maya. Sure enough, she'd been deemed a prodigy by most of her peers, her zeal and determination to excel were considered an inspiration by all who witnessed her play.

'DEFINITELY a potential target for the Death Busters...' he deduced, holding his chin as he eyed the picture of the admittedly pretty young woman on his laptop screen 'Whether she has a Talisman or not is debatable, but a heart as determined as hers won't escape their notice for long.'

As such, he'd made it a point to have C3 follow the woman at all times, and had taken to staking out her apartment from a convenient vantage point, relying on the Caucasus Zecter to rouse him if she moved while he was resting. In the end though, the night of the festival had finally rolled around and there had been no sign of the Death Busters targeting the woman, which of course, didn't put Lelouch's paranoia at ease.

* * *

_Hikawa shrine... _

"Seriously," Hino sighed, the priest looking up at the former emperor in exasperation as he once again trounced the teen at shogi "Give it a REST Lamperouge-kun. You're going to wear yourself out thinking about it."

"Sorry..." Lelouch offered, sighing as he sat back, letting the old man replace the Shogi tiles as the teen rubbed his eyes "I've been on edge since Kaolinite kicked the bucket, truth be told I was EXPECTING the Death Busters to hold back for a while, maybe rethink their strategies...but it's been a week since then and they haven't so much as sent a seed out."

"Nor has there been any unusual activity near the Tower site." Hino noted, his tone grim as he reset the board, the retired Oni-Rider having used his Disk animals to keep an eye on the site while the repairs were being completed "So far, no-ones come to check for her body, which wasn't found by the way."

"So she's either alive and licking her wounds, or dead and scattered to the winds." Lelouch deduced, his tone grim as he sat back "Either way, I hate waiting for them to make a move."

"Then why don't you go relax at the festival?" Hino asked, smiling up at the former Emperor encouragingly "Take Yuichiro-kun with you, poor boy could use a break from his training."

Lelouch nodded, having witnessed Hino's instructions in the art of Ongeki a few times. Personally, he didn't understand how the attacks worked, but then he didn't understand the Caucasus Zecter either, but then he supposed that was simply another aspect of C.C the golden bug had picked up whenever T had programmed it.

* * *

_Festival time... _

"Quite the crowd..." Lelouch marveled, the former Emperor dressed in his usual jeans and jacket over his sleeveless black tank-top, a stark contrast to Yuichiro's shrine robes, the Oni-Rider walking alongside the foreign teen, pointing out all the stalls and explaining the few things Lelouch had forgotten from the few festivals he'd visited as a child while staying at the Kururugi estate "Looks like almost the entire ward came."

"Goldfish!" a familiar voice called out over the repetitive thumping of a drum, the former Emperor turning to see Usagi, dressed in a fetching pink kimono with a green obi, thumping a blow-fish shaped drum in order to draw the crowd "How about scooping for Goldfish folks?"

'Okay, I'll admit, Mars definitely has potential...' Lelouch snorted, unable to help the amused smile that formed on his face as he moved through the crowd towards the blonde, who'd halted in her drumming to glare at Minako for some comment or other "I see Hino-san found a drum for you to play after all."

"Ah! Lelouch-san!" the blonde exclaimed, whipping around to blink at the foreign teen in surprise, the rest of the Senshi, also dressed in fetching Yukata that matched the ribbons of their Senshi uniforms, turning to greet him "And Yuichiro-san too!"

"I was passing by the shrine and offered him a lift." Lelouch admitted, thumbing over his shoulder at the Oni-Rider, who stepped forward to try his hand at the goldfish catching game "Have to say, I'm surprised to see you all working here."

"Hey, Rei-chan wanted our help." Minako shrugged, only to sigh, shaking her head helplessly as she gestured to Makoto and Ami, who were going out of their way to help ensure the kids managed to catch a Gold fish "But seriously, those two are bad for business."

"Hey, OBAACHAN!" a trio of voices called out, the Senshi of love jerking as if she'd been stabbed in the back, her head turning slowly, as if her neck was stiff, to stare at the three little boys that had come up to the stall, though from the way they were acting and talking, you'd think they were Yakuza thugs.

"We'll try scooping too." the one in the middle boasted, as if he were doing the world a favor, the one on his right nodding empathetically.

"What's with that look?" the third asked, tilting his head to the side as he eyed the twitching form of Minako daringly "We're customers right? That mean's we're always right!"

'Poor little bastards...' Lelouch sighed, for some reason envisioning Tamaki and his infamous ability to swallow his own foot up to the knee as he watched Minako tremble, the Senshi of love smiling amiably as she turned to get them their paper scoops, poking them fiercely to 'check' them, before handing them over with a smile that, while amiable, seemed to give the former emperor flashbacks of the Myo-o statues he'd witnessed in a Kyoto shrine, sighing pityingly as the boys failed, Minako laughing victoriously from behind her hand as they ran off in defeat 'Women are weird.'

"Lulu?" a voice called out, the former emperor turning round to find Haruka and Michiru standing behind him, dressed in Yukata, though Haruka, of course, was wearing a men's version, while Michiru's was patterned with autumn leaves.

"I thought I recognized that jacket of yours." Haruka noted, smiling at the teen as the pair drew closer to the stand "And I see you found Odango-Atama and her friends." she smiled at the group "So what's this? Some part-time job?"

"S-Sort off..." Usagi stammered, rubbing her head in embarrassment as she scratched the back of her head, only to brighten suddenly "I know! Why don't the four of you try scooping up some goldfish?" she nudged Yuichiro slyly "You could give it to Rei later!"

"YOSH!" Yuichiro exclaimed, Lelouch's eyes widening as the normally laid back shrine attendant's eyes literally burst into flame, a headband with 'Rei Banzai' appearing on his head as he squatted before the tank, causing the Senshi, ALL of them, to sweatdrop at his determination.

"Well...he seems to be having fun at least..." Michiru chuckled, smiling as Yuichiro ruined scoop after scoop in a bid to try and get his fish "Care to try, Haruka?"

"Let's wait till he runs out of steam first..." Haruka muttered, amused despite herself as she watched Yuichiro create a miniature tidal wave with his antics, cursing the Goldfish at the top of his lungs "You in, Lulu?"

"Think I'll pass on that." Lelouch countered, smiling offhandedly as he stepped away from the booth "I'm more of a cat person myself." he admitted, waving at them as he disappeared into the crowd, chuckling wryly as Yuichiro's cries of frustration followed after him.

"He tries so hard." a familiar voice opined, Lelouch BARELY managing to suppress the urge to jump, but only just, glancing down to see elder Hino walking alongside him, the old man's wrinkled face lined with mirth "A little too hard at times, wouldn't you agree?"

"No comment." Lelouch snorted, shaking his head in bemusement, only to quirk a brow at the old man at his side "So what are You doing here? Ogling the young ones?"

"Yes." Hino replied shamelessly, cackling at the teen's quirked brow "That, and I wanted to see how my replacement's doing." he smiled offhandedly "I was the one who always played the Taiko at festival times until my daughter took over." he smiled whimsically "It was how I met my wife actually."

"I see..." Lelouch noted, his tone solemn even as he continued to move through the crowds, the regulars calling out to Rei's grandfather in respectful greeting, the old man returning them with gracious smiles and friendly waves, even the casual flirt or three.

Their amusement was soon cut off as Hino froze, his hands going into the sleeves of his Uwagi, pulling out his tuning fork, which was vibrating in a familiar manner, the old man pulling out a red and silver disk, which morphed into an Akanetakka as he flicked it into the air, the two racing after it through the crowd as it soared towards the section of the Festival grounds set aside for Maya's performance later that evening.

* * *

_elsewhere... _

Unaware of the trouble headed her way, Eudial was prowling around the massive Taiko drum that had been set up in order for everyone at the festival to hear Tohno Maya's performance.

"The information I received claimed that the target had been spotted in this area..." she mused aloud, her eyes roaming over the quiet part of the park that had been set aside for the performance later that evening, only to narrow as she realized her target was nowhere in sight.

"I guess I have no choice..." she muttered, sighing in resignation as she pulled up next to the tower the Taiko Drum had been set on "I'll have to call her out..." she muttered, reaching down to her dashboard, where a radio and microphone, similar to those used by police cruisers, sat ready and waiting.

Now normally, the redhead would prefer to avoid drawing undue attention to herself, as that had been Kaolinite's major failing, she couldn't resist causing a scene by sending a Daimon in first. Eudial considered it more practical more EFFICIENT, to keep the Daimon in reserve, hunting the targets herself, only releasing the creature when the gig was up.

'Quick, Clean and Efficient.' the Death Buster applauded, even as she activated the speakers on the roof of her car 'And considering the Senshi and the Riders' nasty penchant for showing up at the worst time, FAR more Practical.'

Eudial wasn't stupid, she wouldn't be a member of Witches 5 if she was, she KNEW the risks that came from drawing the attention of the Senshi, and lately, their Kamen Rider allies. Still, that didn't stop a small thrill racing through her at the memory of the few recordings they'd gotten of Caucasus, as the Golden Rider very rarely stayed still long enough to get a decent shot.

'Even the Professor has no idea how his transformation technology works.' the redhead noted, recalling her leader's anger at the fact, 'and unless my research is wrong, he can also move at speeds that cannot be tracked by the naked eye.'

Eudial had to admit, when she'd first seen the clip of Caucasus fighting, she'd thought it was some sort of compute error. That changed after she noticed a glitch whenever she ran the video in slow motion, her eyes, and those of her colleagues, widening in alarm at the sight of Caucasus moving normally while the rest of the image moved at one shot per minute.

Needless to say, the witches 5 had ALL needed cool showers afterwards. And a fresh pair of panties for that matter.

'Nothing like a scientific marvel to get the hormones pounding.' Eudial scoffed, shaking her head wryly as she recalled the looks of jealousy on the others faces when SHE had been selected as Kaolinite's replacement. She wasn't one to brag, not really, but it was CLEAR that the Professor valued HER skills over the rest of them.

"Ahem, Testing, Testing." she called out, smiling as her voice carried effortlessly across the small clearing set aside for the performance "Would Tohno Maya-san please come outside immediately?" she called out, doing a passable imitation of a festival announcer if she said so herself "I repeat, would Tohno Maya-san please come outside immediately?"

Sure enough, a door opened in one of the buildings, Eudial turning round, peering at the figure through a pair of binoculars, only to smile at the sight of her target, dressed in the traditional clothes of a Taiko player, bandages wrapped around her breasts.

"There she is!" Eudial declared, the Death Buster shifting her car into reverse, nearly running the poor drummer over as she pulled up next to her. Taking advantage of the young woman's confusion, the redhead reached into the back of her car, lifting up a strange weapon, like a cross between a syringe and a rifle. A large cylinder filled with the same liquid growth formula used to cultivate Daimon Seeds lay in place of a bullet chamber, and the barrel of the weapon ended in a star shaped hole that was aimed right at the understandably alarmed Maya.

"Gotcha!" Eudial declared, smiling confidently as she pulled the trigger, grimacing from the recoil of her weapon as the syringe section of the weapon compressed, only instead of shooting the liquid at the Taiko drummer, a familiar beam of black energy launched from the star shaped barrel, striking Maya in the chest before she could even think of running.

Unlike the heart extraction process of Kaolinite's Daimons however, Eudial's was fairly quick, Maya only managing to cry out once, briefly, in surprise, before passing out, her heart crystal floating in the air behind her.

"Quick, Clean, Efficient and above all: QUIET." Eudial applauded, stepping out of her station-wagon with a confident smile on her face "Now all that remains is to collect the Heart Crystal."

"Hold it right there!" a voice called out, the Death Buster whipping round only to come face to face with Sailors Moon and Mars, who were standing off to the side, glaring at her angrily.

"Those who would attempt to steal the Pure Heart of a dedicated Taiko player are enemies of the Traditional Japanese Arts!" Sailor Moon declared, Standing beside Mars, who was posing in profile "In the name of the Moon! I will Punish You!"

"And she won't be alone!" Mars declared, the Senshi of Fire striking a pose of her own alongside her leader "I'll punish you in the name of Mars!"

"So you're the Sailor Senshi?" Eudial noted, her tone intrigued, though at the same time bored, the redhead sighing in displeasure as she touched her cheek "I was hoping to run into your friend the Kamen Rider...but I suppose you'll have to do."

Mars bristled, the Senshi of Fire glaring at the redhead at the implication that they were second-banana's to the Kamen Riders, the Senshi looking on warily as the Death Buster whipped off her lab-coat to reveal a red, sleeveless tank top that exposed her cleavage, were it not for the red heart crystal mark over her breasts. She wore a black skirt with red highlights and a red star on the front. Her glasses had apparently vanished with the coat.

"My name is Eudial, of the Witches 5." Eudial declared, smirking confidently at the Senshi as she spoke, before turning to her car "Appear before me! DAIMON!"

At her words, the boot of her car opened up, revealing the metal chest emblazoned with the Black Star crest of the Death Busters inside. As the Senshi looked on in alarm, the box fell apart, a plume of pink smoke emerging from within, followed by a tall, shadowy figure that rose from the boot with a sound like drumsticks sticks being clacked together.

"SOIYA!" the Daimon called out, turning to face its opponents, its arms raised over its head and a smirk on its face. Its skin was blue, and it was garbed in the traditional clothes of a Taiko player, only with spiked bracelets and high heeled shoes. It had even gone so far as to tie its breasts back with bandaging. In it's hands rested two spiked clubs, and a Taiko drum hung horizontally before it, attached to her shoulders by two straps. A large black cylinder adorned the Daimon's back, while a festival mask of a Hyo-Otoko hung on the side of her head, beneath her spiky orange hair.

"Soiya." Eudial called out, the redhead's tone amused as she took in the looks of shock on the two Senshi's faces "Get rid of those that stand in our way!"

"Soiya!" the Daimon agreed, moving forward to the sound of festival music, seeming to blur as she drew ever closer to the Senshi, who stumbled apart as she came to a halt between them, seemingly halting in her tracks, only for their eyes to widen as the fuse leading up to her back burned down, unleashing a hail of festival fireworks on them.

* * *

_in the bushes... _

"It would appear you were right, Lelouch-kun." Hino noted, Rei's grandfather looking on with a grim expression as he, Lelouch and Yuichiro watched the fight with the new Daimon unfold from their hiding place in the bushes, the younger Oni-Rider having caught up to them when his strings had started strumming, forcing him to abandon his quest to land a fish, despite having actually caught one.

"It would appear so..." Lelouch noted, the former emperor's eyes narrowing as he watched the fight unfold before him "All of Kaolinite's Daimon were created whenever she infused them into objects that the target could come into contact with." he narrowed his eyes at Eudial "It seems that her replacement not only brings them ready-made, but has a method of removing the crystals WITHOUT having to use a Daimon."

"A worrying ability indeed." Hino agreed, looking on grimly as his granddaughter and her friend ran around like headless chickens to avoid the hail of fireworks, though from the right perspective, it might appear as if they were DANCING with the Daimon.

"Why're we just sitting here?" Yuichiro demanded, the younger Oni-Rider looking on in anger as he watched the Daimon laugh at the Senshi's predicament "We gotta help them!"

"Calm down." Lelouch countered, pointing towards Eudial, who had been advancing on the downed Maya, only to pull up short as a familiar pair of figures revealed themselves.

"Uranus and Neptune?" Yuichiro wondered, blinking in surprise at the sight of the rogue elder Senshi, Uranus standing guard over Neptune while the latter checked Maya's heart for a crystal "When did THEY get here?"

"Around the same time we did." Hino noted, his tone approving as his eyes roamed over the elder Senshi's mature bodies shamelessly "Hoo mama! If I were ten years younger-!"

"You'd be in your seventies." Lelouch muttered, smirking wryly at the old man's annoyed glare, which was soon diverted to Yuichiro for his treacherous snort, the former Emperor looking on as Neptune returned the Heart Crystal, having determined it to not be a Talisman, prompting Eudial to leap back into her car, yelling at her Daimon to finish the Senshi off, before tearing off like a madwoman, Uranus and Neptune following shortly after-wards "Let's go, Yuichiro." he ordered, activating his bracer even as Sailor Moon and Mars were trapped inside drums the Daimon had dropped on them.

"YOSH!" Yuichiro declared, pulling the buckle on his Henshin brace, only to blink as Hino pulled out his Henshin fork "Elder?"

"You don't think I came all the way out here just to WATCH, did you brats?" Hino asked, smirking at the pair as he flicked the fork, raising it to his face, causing an Oni face to appear on his brow "There's life in these old bones yet!"

* * *

_with the senshi... _

"Looks like it's about time for me to bat these drums!" Soiya called out, the Daimon turning to the captive Senshi, smirking as she raised her spiked bats for emphasis.

"Uh...Could you beat on Mars first?" Moon quivered, the blonde Senshi looking on fearfully as the Daimon approached "That looks like it's gonna hurt!"

"Hold it right there!" a child's voice called out, halting the Daimon in it's tracks, as well as cutting off Mars' shrieks of anger "Good grief, you really can't do anything without me!" the voice muttered, the Senshi and Daimon turning as one to blink at a small figure standing a few feet away, dressed in a pink and white Senshi uniform, her long pink hair tied up in twin ponytails, some of it styled like bunny ears on her head.

"I am the new age warrior of love and justice!" the child declared, going through Sailor Moon's trademark entrance pose "Apprentice Sailor Scout: Sailor Chibi-Moon! In the name of the future moon, I will punish you!"

"Chi-Chibi-Usa?" Sailor Moon stammered, the two Senshi gaping at the sight of the Blonde's future daughter, who was a lot older than she looked, wondering what SHE was doing here, and as a SAILOR SENSHI to boot!

"All right." Soiya muttered, the Daimon looking decidedly unimpressed by the little moon princess as it stepped forwards "I'll get rid of YOU first!"

"Pink Sugar Heart Attack!" Chibi-Moon declared, raising a small pink wand, about the size of flashlight really, in the air, a red crystal heart flashing on the tip as she aimed it at her opponent, the Daimon pausing for a few seconds, waiting for the attack to launch, only to sweatdrop as the heart blinked a few times before falling silent.

"Uh...that's strange..." Chibi-Moon wondered, looking down at her wand in confusion, only to cry out in alarm as Soiya casually kicked her feet out from under her, sending her face-first into the ground.

"What's wrong?" the Daimon demanded, squatting down in front of the tiny Scout mockingly, Chibi-Moon pushing herself, up, ready to try again.

"CAST OFF!" a voice declared, the pair blinking, Chibi-Moon crying out in alarm as something shot over her, missing her by scant inches, only to slam into the Daimon, sending it flying away from her, howling in pain.

"What?" the pink haired senshi exclaimed, looking startled as she watched the Daimon roll on her back in agony "What…was that?"

"You okay there kid?" a voice called out, Chibi-Moon turning at the sound of approaching footsteps, her eyes widening at the sight of the figure in black and Gold standing behind her "You're not hurt are you?"

"N-No…" Chibi-Moon stammered, her eyes wide as she shook her head, unable to tear her eyes off the armored warrior before her "You…Are you-?"

"Kisama!" Soiya snarled, the Daimon getting to her feet, glaring hatefully at the warrior as blood trickled from her nose "Who the hell do you think you are?"

"I am the ally of those without power." The figure called out "I am the enemy of those who abuse their power! Kamen Rider Caucasus!"

* * *

And the battle is officially joined!

Four more to go for this update streak people!


	24. Chapter 24

Update 4 of seven for U.A.E national day.

enjoy.

* * *

Messages from the Future.

"Caucasus…?" Chibi-Moon exclaimed, the Apprentice Senshi's eyes widening in disbelief as she gaped up at the Golden Rider with something like hero worship "It can't be-!"

"RAGH!" Soiya snarled, racing towards the pair with her spiked clubs in hand, only to pull up short as another figure appeared, narrowly avoiding the swipe he took at her with his silver guitar "ANOTHER ONE?" She snarled, backing up hurriedly.

"Howling White Thunder!" the new Rider declared, gripping his Guitar by the neck as he pointed at the Daimon with his other "Kamen Rider Yuuki!"

"I'll take you both on!" Soiya snarled, bringing her clubs down to bear on the Oni Rider, Yuuki bringing his guitar up to block, sending Soiya staggering back "FIGHT ME!"

"Love to." Caucasus called out, helping Chibi-Moon to her feet, even as he tilted his head towards something over the Daimon's shoulder "But the old man's got dibs."

"Watch yer tongue whippersnapper." A voice growled amiably, the Daimon whipping round, only to howl as two fireballs were launched in her face "This Old Man's got a trick or two up his sleeve!"

"Damn you!" Soiya snarled, the Daimon gripping her face in agony from the burns, glaring at the newcomer through her fingers "Who the hell are you?"

"Who am I?" the shadowy figure challenged, stepping into the light, the Senshi's eyes widening at the sight of a massive, muscular figure in dark red Armor with white, kabuki like markings adorning his face, much like Yuuki "I am the Blazing Red Flame: Kamen Rider Hinoki!" he twirled his drumsticks in readiness "And I'm here to show you how a REAL Taiko master plays!"

* * *

_with the senshi... _

"Another Rider?" Mars exclaimed, the Fire Senshi looking on in wonderment at this newest addition to the fold, while Sailor Moon struggled to free herself from her Taiko restraints.

The new Rider was taller and more muscular than Yuuki, his armor-like hide a dull crimson colour with Purple Highlights that reminded her of blood, Kabuki makeup, and the glowing embers from a fire. Another thing that differed from the other Rider was his choice of weapon. Whereas Yuuki fought with a guitar, THIS Oni carried two drumsticks, like those used to beat the Taiko.

'Kinda ironic really…' she muttered, eyeing the Riders' opponent, who was glaring hatefully at the larger Rider for burning it's face 'Whoever this guy is, he's DEFINITELY not someone you want to mess with.

She didn't quite understand how she knew this, it was as if the Hinoki exhibited an air of experience, of mastery, that Rei had only ever experienced from powerful men and women, people who'd mastered their skills, be they combat or otherwise, and had surpassed their own limitations.

'Kind of like Grandpa does whenever he gets serious…' she muttered, only to dismiss such a thought, as there was no comparison between her dwarf of a grandfather and the mass of muscle before her.

The moment she thought that, Hinoki sneezed, completely ruining the tension in the air, causing the rest of the group to stumble in surprise.

* * *

_With Hinoki... _

"Getting a might chilly out here…" Hinoki sniffed, the Oni Rider shaking his head to clear it, his hidden eyes never leaving Soiya's face as she pulled herself up "That or someone's talking about me again."

"You wanna hurry this up old man?" Caucasus called out, his tone mocking as he stood next to the stunned Chibi-Usa, who seemed torn between gaping at HIM and watching the battle between the two Drummers "Pretty sure people noticed that little fireworks display and are coming to investigate."

"All in good time youngster." Hinoki chuckled, his tone teasing as he shook one finger at the Golden Rider tauntingly "A watched kettle never boils, as they say."

"DIE!" Soiya snarled, the Taiko Daimon lashing out at the Retired Oni, intending to smash his face in as retribution for burning her own, only for Hinoki to easily sidestep the swing, bringing his own drumsticks around to crash into her midriff, doubling the Daimon over with the force of the blow.

"Too WEAK!" the Oni-Rider snapped, his hands not stopping as he continued to deliver blow after punishing blow, all of which were aimed at the Daimon's chest, face and arms, keeping Soiya from recovering her stance, nor enabling her to summon a weapon to defend herself "It takes skill and determination to beat the Taiko! Those who can't even hold their sticks right don't deserve to!"

So saying, he reached down to his buckle, detaching it from his waist with one hand, stepping forwards and shoving the device into the Daimon's chest, Soiya loosing a cry of surprise as it expanded, revealing a surface similar to that of a Taiko drum.

"Ongekida!" Hinoki called out, the crimson Oni holding his drumsticks in both hands, eyeing the struggling Daimon coldly "Hien Renda no Kata!"

So saying he stepped forward, beating a rapid tempo of blows against the surface of the drum, Soiya crying out in agony as the purifying noise raced through her body, the sound of a Taiko filling the air.

* * *

_With Mars... _

'That…that playing style!' Mars exclaimed, the Senshi of Fire's eyes widening as she listened to the beat of the drum, her eyes locked on Hinoki's back as the muscular Oni continued his successive, rapid blows 'It's just like Mama's!'

As a child growing up, Rei had loved going to the festivals with her family, not only because of all the fun, but because she loved to watch her mother beat the Taiko. The elder Miko had looked so radiant, drumsticks in hand, her long flowing hair tied behind her back to keep it out of her face, and the people had loved her for it, especially her father, Rei's Grandfather.

Rei would never admit it, but one of the reasons she'd asked Maya to play for them at the festival was because, without the sound of her Mother's Taiko, it just wasn't the same anymore.

Now, here, she was reliving her childhood once again, the familiar tempo of her mother's style washing over her like waves, waves which were having a DEVASTATING effect of Soiya.

After landing thirty repetitive strikes, just like her mother had, the Rider known only as Hinoki struck a pose, his Drumsticks held aloft, Soiya loosing a scream of agony as she exploded, in a blazing fireball, leaving a trail of smoking cherry blossoms and a ruined Taiko drum in her wake.

"Sugoi…!" Sailor Moon exclaimed, the Pigtailed Senshi's eyes wide as she stared at the Crimson Rider in wonderment "That was AWESOME! Wasn't it Mars?"

"Y-Yeah…" Mars stammered, shaken from her reverie by her leader and friend's admiration of the Oni, only to look up as Hinoki suddenly dropped to one knee, clutching his back.

"Damn…" the Oni Rider muttered, his voice laced with pain as he pressed against his back as if it caused him some pain "Didn't think it'd hurt so much, getting old SUCKS."

"Sensei!" Yuuki called out, the Senshi blinking in surprise as the white Rider raced up to the downed one, checking him over for injuries "Hang on, I'll get you out of here!"

"Hold it!" Mars called out, the senshi of fire stepping forward, her eyes on Hinoki's armored face as she drew closer "That playing style, where did you learn it?" she demanded, only to pull up short when Caucasus stepped in front of her.

"Sorry, Mars, but the old man needs his rest." The Golden Rider insisted, keeping between the Fire Senshi and the two Oni Riders, Yuuki slinging Hinoki over his shoulder, helping his master to his feet "Looks like we'll have to cut this short."

"Wait!" Rei exclaimed, reaching out for the Golden Rider, only for him to slap his waist, disappearing with a cry of "CLOCK UP!" the two Oni Rider's vanishing from sight along with him "Damn-!"

"What's wrong, Mars?" Moon wondered, the leader of the Senshi looking at her friend in concern as she checked on her dumbstruck daughter, who hadn't stopped staring at the spot the Riders had occupied "You know that guy?"

"No." Rei muttered, her brow furrowing as she shook her head, wondering if what she'd just seen was an illusion, knowing in her heart it wasn't "How's Chibi-Usa?"

"Haven't a clue…" Moon muttered, shaking her daughter to try and get some response out of the future princess of Crystal Tokyo "Hey! Wake up Chibi!"

"SUGOI~!" Chibi-Moon cheered, actually knocking her future mother off her feet as she clasped her hands together in excitement "I can't believe it! Caucasus really IS real and I actually got to meet him!"

"Wait, what?" Moon wondered, blinking at her future daughter in confusion as she pulled herself back to her feet "Chibi, you KNOW Caucasus-san?"

"Who doesn't?" Chibi-Moon proclaimed, looking at her future mother as if she were the idiot of the century "Everyone who hasn't been living under a rock knows about the Golden Warrior Caucasus! It's thanks to him that so many people survived the Big Freeze!"

"Unh…" Maya moaned, the Taiko prodigy finally coming round, stalling the rest of the conversation as the Senshi cancelled their transformations in order to check on the woman. Fortunately, she didn't seem to have suffered much discomfort from the Heart Crystal Extraction Process, as compared to the one employed by Kaolinite, or rather, by the redhead's Daimon, Eudial's version had been almost instantaneous.

As a result, though a little confused about the entire situation, the Taiko Prodigy decided that the show had to go on, and so got to her feet, slapping her cheeks to get her game face on, before following Rei to the stage where she was to perform.

* * *

_With Eudial... _

While the Senshi were doing damage control, and generally having a good time at the festival in the wake of the Daimon's defeat and Maya's performance, Eudial was racing down the streets of Juuban, heading for the nearest portal that would enable her to get back to her hideout without being traced.

Needless to say, the mission, her FIRST mission, had been a colossal failure. Not only had the Heart Crystal of the girl she'd researched lacked any trace of a talisman despite it's purity, the equipment in her car indicated that the Daimon the professor had supplied her with had been destroyed, meaning the Sailor Senshi, one of the two inners that appeared at the very least, were still alive.

'I didn't even get to see the Kamen Rider in action…' the redhead muttered, looking depressed as she glanced down at the passenger's seat, where a camcorder lay 'I was hoping to get some research data…'

Shrugging offhandedly, Kaolinite's replacement turned her attention back to the road, deciding that there was no use crying over spilt milk, wondering how best to file her report on this failure so that the professor wouldn't be unduly annoyed. After all, Talisman or not, a Daimon had been destroyed to ensure Eudial escaped without being followed. Incompetent failure or not, at Eudial had to admit that Kaolinite's ability to teleport was certainly a more efficient mode of getting around.

'Not nearly as fun though…' she chuckled, smirking as she took the next corner on one wheel, almost crashing into a blue Renault Alpine that was coming the opposite way 'Tsk, where'd that drunk get her license?' she wondered, unaware that the purple haired woman in the Renault was thinking the same thing.

* * *

_Hikawa Shrine, the next day... _

"And so," Chibi-Usa declared, the pink haired daughter of Neo-Queen Serenity and King Endymion smiling at the 20th century versions of her mother's Guardian Senshi, while this timeline's incarnation of her future mother stood off to the side, her arms crossed in annoyance "I, Chibi-Usa, otherwise known as 'Small Lady', have returned to the 20th Century for training!" she bowed to the others, ignoring Usagi as she spoke, Luna-P bowing alongside her "Please take care of me!"

"Coming back here of all times…" Usagi sighed, shaking her head in exasperation, a sentiment the rest of the Senshi clearly shared from their expression "Who the hell thought THAT would be a good idea?"

"Oh! That's right…" Chibi-Usa noted, ignoring the blonde in favor of reaching for something in the pocket of her skirt "I have a letter from Mom."

"A letter?" Usagi wondered, intrigued despite herself, wondering what on earth her future counterpart was thinking as she held her hand out "Give it here."

"Can you read it for me, Minako-chan?" Chibi-Usa asked, deliberately walking past the irate Usagi, handing the letter to the other blonde Senshi, heedless of the pigtailed one's murderous aura.

"Let's see…" Minako wondered, opening the letter and peering at the contents "It would seem you're going to train Small Lady." She recited "Oh my, I don't know how to thank you! I entrust my daughter's care to you…" she paused for effect, the rest of the group turning to look at her expectantly before she looked up "So it says."

"What? That's IT?" Rei demanded, the Senshi of Fire's features deadpan, her brow twitching in a manner normally only associated with Usagi. Though considering that the Future Queen of Crystal Tokyo WAS Usagi, she really shouldn't have been surprised.

"Neo Queen Serenity really IS Usagi after all…" Luna sighed the black Mau sweatdropping at her ward's lack of development, even as Artemis nodded sagely, forepaws crossed before his chest, only for them to recoil under Usagi's irate glare.

"I see what you mean Luna…" Minako agreed, the Senshi of Love turning the letter around for all to see the indecipherable scribbles covering it "Because this letter has no Kanji in it!"

"Holy crap you're right!" Rei exclaimed, the Senshi huddling around the letter, heedless of the continuous invisible blows their words landed on their leader "Man, her handwriting's a mess!"

"Look, there's a spot here where she tried to write in kanji but erased it." Ami pointed out, her tone concerned rather than mocking, though it caused Usagi to jolt as if shot nonetheless.

"Why didn't she just check it with a dictionary?" Artemis wondered, the Mau perched atop his ward's head to get a better look, causing Usagi to slump in defeat.

"Probably because it would've been too much work." Luna reasoned, the black Mau shaking her head at her ward's sloppiness, even as said ward gripped one of the Shrine's posts for support "Just like Usagi-chan…"

"Uh…Shouldn't we be worrying about Chibi-Usa?" Usagi stammered, the red-faced blonde looking mortified by their pointing out her faults, eager to turn the conversation to other matters.

"But training?" Minako wondered, poking her cheek in confusion, Artemis still perched on her head like a bizarre hat "What in the world will she be doing?"

"If it were just training to become a proper princess, she didn't really need to come to THIS era." Makoto agreed, the group turning to look at the pink haired girl.

"I just hope Usagi's clumsiness doesn't rub off on her." Mars muttered, the Senshi of Fire shaking her head in exasperation, heedless of the haunted look Usagi was sending her way.

"Mars in the future said the same thing." Chibi-Usa admitted, the future Princess of Crystal Tokyo nodding solemnly "She told me TONS of stories about Usagi's stupidity!"

"REI-CHAN!" Usagi snapped, lunging at the startled Miko, "WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN SAYING ABOUT ME?"

"I DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING!" Rei countered, the two of them getting into a fight, the Fire Priestess fending off the enraged blonde with her broom "IT WAS THE FUTURE MARS!"

"IT'S THE SAME THING!"

* * *

_As the lovebirds fight... _

"Don't worry." Chibi-Usa assured the rest of the Senshi, who were watching the fight between the two friends nervously "I won't be clumsy and make mistakes like Usagi."

"We'll help out in any way we can." Ami assured the girl, smiling encouragingly at her friend's future daughter alongside Makoto and Minako "So don't be afraid to ask us for anything." She paused slightly "But before that, Usagi mentioned something about you knowing Caucasus-san, is that true?"

"Of course I know about him!" Chibi-Usa exclaimed, her eyes wide with excitement, like a kid about to speak about their childhood hero "He's a legend back in my time! It's thanks to him that so many people survived the Big Freeze!"

"I thought Neo Queen Serenity saved the world?" Luna wondered, the group looking at the daughter of the Neo-Queen in confusion, Rei and Usagi halting their scuffle to listen in.

"Mama only ascended to Neo-Queen Serenity AFTER the Big freeze hit." Chibi-Usa countered, shaking her head as she held a finger in the air "Caucasus-san was the one who made sure that the technology of the time had advanced to the point where humans were able to survive the Big Freeze without suffering too many losses. It's thanks to him that there even WAS a Tokyo for her to become Queen over!"

"Wow," Usagi wondered, the pigtailed blonde looking stunned at the revelation "So I guess that means he IS a good guy after all!"

"OF course he's a good guy!" Chibi-Usa exclaimed, looking at her future mother like she were the idiot of the century, nothing new there "Next to Mama and the Guardian Senshi, he's considered one of the greatest heroes of our time! People called him the Shinsoku no Senshi!"

"God-Speed Soldier?" Mercury wondered, blinking her eyes in confusion "I wonder if it has something to do with how he's able to disappear like that?"

"The Mercury in my time wondered the same thing." Chibi-Usa admitted, smiling up at the shy bluenette helpfully "She did some research and discovered that he wasn't teleporting, just moving so fast that everything else seemed to be standing still!"

"How fast would you have to be for THAT to happen?" Makoto wondered, the Senshi turning to Ami in confusion, only to find the bluenette's eyes wide with shock.

"It's impossible…" Mercury countered, shaking her head in awe "In order to move that fast, you'd need to be traveling at the speed of light!"

"Future Mercury said the same thing." Chibi-Usa admitted with a nod "She was always trying to figure out how he did it, but then the Black Moon Clan showed up and you know the rest."

"If he's so famous why the heck haven't we heard about him before?" Usagi wondered, looking at her daughter in confusion "I mean, Caucasus-san in THIS time's pretty powerful, why didn't he help us out during the Dark Moon Clan's invasion?"

"I don't know." Chibi-Usa admitted, her features falling "Caucasus-san disappeared shortly after the formation of Crystal Tokyo. Nobody likes to admit it, but everyone believes that since he didn't accept the Ginzuishou's blessing, he must have died of old age."

"That's so sad…" Ami whispered, the Senshi looking surprised and crestfallen at the idea of their Golden Ally dieing while they remained eternally young "Such a shame, I would have liked to speak with him about his technology."

"He never told ANYONE how his armor worked." Chibi-Usa countered, shaking her head dismissively as she shrugged "It really used to bug the Councilors that only Mama, Papa and the Senshi knew who he was under the mask."

"Wait, we KNOW him?" Usagi exclaimed, looking at her future daughter in alarm "But we don't even know what he looks like!"

"He'll probably reveal himself to us at a later date." Ami assured the blonde, waving her hand calmingly at the blonde "At least now we know he's on our side."

"But what about those other Riders?" Mars demanded, her tone suspicious "Yuuki, and that other one from that night before, Hinoki or whatever?"

"I don't know about Hinoki, but I know about Yuuki-san." Chibi-Usa admitted, looking up at the Fire priestess "He's still alive in our time, he was a big help during the Black Moon Clan's invasion." She held up a finger for emphasis "He took down an entire platoon of Droids and one of their flying fortresses before they managed to freeze him in crystal!"

"So at least one of them's still alive in the future." Mars muttered, crossing her arms within her Uwagi sleeves with a frown "What's he like?" she asked, impressed despite herself, as taking down an entire FORTRESS was a pretty impressive feat.

"You'd know him better than me." Chibi-Usa replied, smiling in a manner that proved she was, without a doubt, Usagi's child "After all, you MARRIED him!"

"NANI?" the girls exclaimed, Rei's face turning the same shade of red as her Hakama, even as the rest of the Senshi rounded on her, allowing Chibi-Usa to skip off without being noticed.

* * *

WHOOP DERE IT IS!

Ah the wonders of time travel...so much crack potential

three more to go for this update streak people!


	25. Chapter 25

Update 5 of seven for U.A.E national day.

enjoy.

* * *

Chibi meets Lulu.

The professor cackled, the sound echoing around the confines of the Death Buster's underground lab, his Slasher grin in place as he leered at the bubbling pot before him.

"Tea is great…" the madman applauded, reaching into the ominously bubbling pot with a ladle normally used for dishing out samples "So good for the heart…" he added, chuckling to himself as he poured the mixture into a waiting cup, stirring the tea with professional care, his lab silent save for the gentle noises of the swirling water, his Slasher grin in place as he brought the finished product up to his mouth, chugging the whole thing down in one movement.

"BLAGH!" he retched, spitting the tea back into the beaker "That's too hot you idiot!" he yelled, hurling the cup at the wall, shoulders trembling as he glared at the spreading stain accusingly "I guess that's enough for today." He muttered, getting to his feet with a grunt, only to pause, Slasher smile widening as an epiphany struck "Oh! Now there's an idea!"

Walking over to his phone, the professor hit the auto dial, waiting impatiently for the person on the other end to pick up. "Eudial." He called out excitedly "A thought occurred just now: Why not target someone connected to traditional arts, such as Japanese Tea Ceremonies?"

"An interesting theory…" Eudial admitted, the redheaded member of Witches 5 humming to herself as she brought up the information of one person in particular that seemed to fit the bill "I believe I may have what you're looking for, Professor. Shall I deploy?"

"But of course." The Professor chuckled maniacally "I shall prepare a Daimon suitable for your protection.£" he cackled ominously before recovering "And while you're at it, DO try and catch some footage of the Rider's in action, the one called Caucasus in particular."

"I had already taken steps to do so, Professor." Eudial admitted, her tone confident, though laced with inquiry "If I may sir, why focus on him?"

"Because unlike the white one, Caucasus seems to rely heavily on Technology." The Professor admitted, smirking at the thought "If there's a chance we can reverse engineer his equipment, it might give us the edge we need to defeat the Senshi once and for all!"

"Very well." Eudial offered, her tone submissive and determined over the line "Please rest assured, Professor, I shall do as you ask."

* * *

Elsewhere...

At Juuban Airport, a hole appeared in the runway, the pilot of the Boeing 747 pulling up sharply as a white Station-wagon rose from the hole, tearing down the runway like a bat out of hell, heedless of the calls from the security team to halt.

* * *

_Juuban street... _

"MMM!" Chibi-Usa exclaimed, the pink haired Senshi in training stretching like a cat, glad to have escaped her mother's past incarnation and her inquisitive friends "The 20th century is a great place to relax!" she beamed excitedly "And even better, Caucasus-san is here! This is like the greatest time EVER!"

For someone like Chibi-Usa, who had grown up hearing the old war tales of the Senshi and of the times before Crystal Tokyo, to meet a living Legend in the Flesh, or armor rather, was like a dream come true. The Senshi didn't count, as she knew them all personally as her mother's personal guards, and the illusion had been jaded by her prior visit to the past, where she'd met their immature selves.

But Caucasus had disappeared BEFORE the Black Moon Clan's invasion, but not before he'd managed to lead the survivors of the Big Freeze into rebuilding their nation, a nation that flourished once her mother had ascended as the new Serenity, before quietly disappearing from the world of politics.

"Mama always seems so sad whenever it came to speaking about him…" the Senshi in training recalled, her features falling as she recalled the look on the woman's beautiful face, as if a precious friend had been lost forever "Plu-chan told me that he rejected the blessing of the Ginzuishou, and so died of old age, but wouldn't go into why."

It seemed inconceivable to Chibi-Usa, who was a LOT older than she looked, thanks in part to her sheer magical potential suppressing her age, that someone would pass on the chance to live forever young. Caucasus, however, had not seen the appeal, and had chosen to live his life as a mortal, disappearing into legend as quickly as he'd arisen.

"I wonder why Mama never told me that she met him in the past?" she wondered, looking confused as she tilted her head to the side, recalling the last conversation she'd had with her mother prior to being sent back in time.

* * *

_Moon Flashback Power...! _

"Small Lady…" Neo Queen Serenity called out, Chibi-Usa turning to face her mother, the pair of them standing atop one of the numerous balconies of the Crystal Palace, overlooking the gardens below.

As always, the Queen of Crystal Tokyo was beautiful, her tall frame dressed in a splendid white gown that resembled a butterfly's wings, her smile as she gazed down at her daughter filled with all the love and compassion that the younger Serenity had come to expect.

"I understand you wish to continue your training as a Senshi." The monarch noted "If that is what you truly wish, then you once again travel to the past."

"The past?" Small Lady repeated, the pink-haired princess blinking up at her mother in confusion, Luna-P at her side as always "You mean the 20th century? What can I learn there that I can't here?"

"A lesson that you will never learn, burdened as you are with the title of Princess." The Neo-Queen assured her daughter, smiling encouragingly in that strange way that revealed she knew more than she was letting on "You will learn how to make friends." She revealed, smiling at her daughter's confusion "Such valuable encounters will help you reach your maturity, both as a Senshi, and as a woman…"

* * *

_WAKE UP! _

'I wonder what she meant by that?' Chibi-Usa wondered, pouting slightly at her mother's enigmatic words as she eyed the numerous people killing around the sidewalks 'I had plenty of friends, the Guardian Senshi, Diana-chan…'

The sound of laughter drew her attention from her thoughts, the Princess looking up to see she'd somehow wandered into a park area, looking up to see several children her own age, maybe slightly older, running around having fun. "Valuable encounters huh?" she murmured, looking around in confusion, only to blink as something tapped against her foot, looking down to see a key-chain figure lying against her foot "What's this?" she wondered, bending down to pick up the little figure, which resembled a scowling little boy in a red shirt with yellow shorts 'Some sort of mascot?'

Footsteps from her side caused her to turn, the princess' eyes widening at the sight of a tall, handsome looking boy with green eyes and a detached, regal expression on his face standing right behind her. 'Valuable encounters…!' the girl exclaimed, her eyes sparkling as she flushed at the sight of the boy, 'So this is what Mama meant!'

'A-Ano…' she stammered, turning to face the boy nervously, her face a light pink as she held out the doll before her in both hands "Did…did you drop this?"

* * *

_One Traumatizing encounter lay-ter... _

"Good grief..." Chibi-Usa muttered, the pinkette walking down the street, her mind completely wrecked by the sight she'd been forced to witness in the park "Encounters like THAT I can do WITHOUT!"

After that mentally scarring encounter, Chibi-Usa had stumbled out of the park, taking no small consolation in the fact that the perverted little freak was going to get his comeuppance, courtesy of his mother, who did NOT appreciate her son dropping his pants in public, no sir.

'Maybe the world will get lucky and she'll neuter him.' she sighed, trying to get the mentally traumatizing image out of her head as she walked down the street, determined to meet at least ONE new friend before the day was through, preferably one that wasn't insane. She was so caught up in her thoughts however, that she literally ended up running into someone else. "OW!" the future princess of Crystal Tokyo exclaimed, falling on her butt and holding her poor nose in pain.

"Sorry about that," a man's voice offered, the girl looking up to see a tall figure standing over her, his silken black hair framing his slim, regal features "You okay?"

"H-Hai…" Chibi-Usa stammered, her cheeks red, her heart racing a mile a minute as she stared up at the handsome foreign teen. Whoever he was, he was clearly the same age as Mamoru, the 20th century incarnation of her father, King Endymion, but while Mamoru would develop into a Regal figure as an adult, THIS fine specimen already looked like something out of a fairytale, with his elegant features, silken black hair, and regal purple eyes.

"Didn't see you there." The man noted, helping the girl to her feet and dusting her off, checking her over for injuries, not seeming to notice the dazed expression on her face as she continued to gaze at him, though he quirked a brow at the sight of her Luna-P, which was hovering at her side as always "Interesting toy." He noted, snapping the future princess out of her daze "You okay?"

"Uh…yeah…" Chibi-Usa stammered, flushing scarlet as she lowered her eyes, unable to meet his lavender stare with her own embarrassed red "Sorry for bumping into you."

"No harm done," the foreign man assured her, his tone as friendly as his smile as he patted her comfortingly on the head "Though I'm surprised to see you out on your own, where's your parents?"

"I'm not a child!" Chibi-Usa countered, which was technically true, as her current appearance was merely the result of the longevity of those of the Serenity line, or those blessed by the Ginzuishou "I can walk around by myself no problem."

"Alright, I'm sorry." The man chuckled, and even his amusement sounded like poetry to the flushing pinkette as he got to his feet "And sorry again for knocking you down, try to keep an eye out from now on, okay?"

"S-Sure…" Chibi-Usa stammered, her features lighting up, her heart clenching as the man made as if to walk away "A-Ano-!" she called out, halting the man in his tracks "M-My name is Chibi-Usa…" she called out, blushing at his inquisitive look "What's yours?"

"Lelouch Lamperouge." The man replied, smiling at her, sending a fresh wave of butterflies through her stomach "And what brings a young lady such as yourself out today?"

"W-Well…" Chibi-Usa stammered, caught off guard by his unknowing use of her 'OTHER' name, the one only her parents called her, shuffling her feet as she twiddled her fingers together "I was going to try and make some new friends." She admitted, looking down shyly "I'm kinda new in town." Her features fell slightly "But I don't know where to start."

"There's never a concrete place to start looking." Lelouch countered, the pinkette looking up in surprise as he got down on one knee to look her in the eye "Friends aren't something that you catch, they're people that you're drawn to, or people that are drawn to you, because you have something in common, something that brings you together, despite any and all differences you might have."

'That makes sense…' Chibi-Usa reasoned, recalling the many, MANY differences between Usagi and the rest of the Senshi. The other girls all had many traits that Usagi lacked, and yet they all loved the girl like a sister.

"So don't go worrying your little head about it." Lelouch assured her, snapping the girl out of her daze as he ruffled her hair "You'll give yourself wrinkles, and what a waste THAT would be."

Chibi-Usa giggled, flattered by the man's words, even though the idea of getting wrinkles at her age was a little unsettling, only to blink as Lelouch got to his feet.

"In any case, I have somewhere I need to be." The foreigner admitted, walking casually towards a nearby motorcycle with side-car, mounting it and placing on a COOL looking helmet before turning to face her again "See you around, little rabbit." He called out, giving her a salute before revving the engine and riding away.

'Wow…' Chibi-Usa exclaimed, her features flushed as she literally gushed over her first, actual crush that wasn't Mamoru 'So COOL!' she exclaimed, jumping around, holding her cheeks in embarrassment, so dazed, that she almost bumped into a cute, effeminate looking boy in a traditional kimono walking the other way.

"So sorry." The boy offered, even his voice effeminate as he smiled at the red-faced princess, offering her a polite bow before continuing on his way.

'He's cute…' Chibi-Usa realized, her cheeks still red from her gushing over Lelouch, the future princess of Neo-Tokyo unable to decide which was better, Lelouch's foreign charm, or this boy's feminine appearance.

* * *

_with Lulu... _

"So that's Chibi-Moon is it?" C3 noted, the Caucasus Zecter easily keeping up with Lelouch as the former Emperor raced through the streets "They're getting younger and younger."

"T's data didn't tell me anything on any additional scouts." Lelouch noted, his tone neutral as he drove through the streets "Any idea why?"

"I'm afraid not." C3 countered, her tone dismissive "Either he only covered Sailor Moon's group because they're the most well known, or he didn't know of any others to report."

"Or he deliberately left the data out so that I'd have to actually do some legwork." Lelouch countered, his tone laced with wry bemusement as he continued on his way "In any case, at least now I know who she is, though how no-one ELSE has figured it out is beyond me. Pink hair isn't exactly common."

"You've never been to an anime convention have you?" C3 noted, buzzing amusement as Lelouch quirked his head at her in bemusement "Just because YOU'RE always on the job doesn't mean I am. Trust me, dyed hair isn't the worst you'll find around here."

Lelouch scoffed, shaking his head in bemusement, only to blink as he espied a familiar couple walking down the street towards the park, dressed in traditional kimono wear.

'Huh…wonder where they're off to?' he noted, easily recognizing Haruka and Michiru, only to blink as he espied Usagi, Mamoru, and the pink haired Chibi-Usa from earlier following in the lovers wake.

"Wow…Small world." C3 noted, the Caucasus Zecter buzzing around her partner's head, her tone laced with bemusement as they eyed the unlikely quintet "Want to join them?"

"I'm not their babysitter." Lelouch snorted, shaking his head in bemusement, only to frown suspiciously at the disguised Outer Senshi "Still…wherever those two show up, a talisman can't be too far off…"

"Always on the job with you…" C3 noted, sighing in exasperation as Lelouch made to park his bike, the former Emperor intent on following the group without being seen "The old man was right, you're going to give yourself wrinkles."

"The fact I'm alive at all to GET them is pleasure enough for me." Lelouch snorted, his tone wry as he recalled his first death "And keeping the enemy from locating the talismans is a good way to keep the heart going."

* * *

_With the Once in future familly... _

"I can't believe you…" Chibi-Usa muttered, the pinkette huffing cutely as she sat across from Usagi and Mamoru, stirring her drink with her straw "You embarrassed me in front of Tamasaburo!"

Usagi flinched, unable to correct the teen for once, as she HAD made quite the spectacle at the teahouse. But then how was SHE supposed to know that when Haruka and Michiru had offered to take them for tea, the pair had meant a traditional Japanese Tea Ceremony?

"Easy now…" Mamoru offered, the college student and future king of Crystal Tokyo waving his hands placatingly between his girlfriend and their future daughter "So Chibi-Usa, from the looks of things, it would seem you like Tamasaburo-kun?"

"It's not that," Chibi-Usa sighed, her head sinking into her arms "Mama told me to make as many friends here in the 21st Century as possible." She sighed "So many new meetings could bring me valuable friendship."

"I guess that during the time you're from, you don't have many friends to play with." Mamoru noted, showing once again how insightful he was, even as Usagi blinked in realization.

"Why didn't you tell us before?" the elder Serenity asked her future daughter "If you'd told me before I would have helped."

"No you wouldn't." Chibi-Usa denied, her tone flat and her expression deadpan "You'd just mess everything up if you tried to help.

"Now, now…" Mamoru countered, placing a hand on Usagi's mouth to keep the elder Serenity from tearing into their daughter "Chibi-Usa, you really shouldn't be so hard on Usagi." He instructed, releasing his girlfriend once she'd calmed down "She's already one of your friends right? Not much point in making new ones if you lose and old one along the way, is there?"

Chibi-Usa flinched, lowering her gaze in shame, only to blink as a hand extended towards her, looking up to see a resigned Usagi glancing at her. The two Serenity descendents eyed one another with deadpan expressions, before Chibi-Usa shook her future mother's hand, albeit jerkily, before bringing their hands back as if stung.

'Good grief…' Mamoru sighed, wondering if his future counterpart had it this tough, and if he did, cursing him for putting him through it. "That wasn't so hard, was it?"

"No." the pair muttered, sighing in exasperation as they slumped in their seats, playing with their straws morosely.

"But how am I going to be friends with Tamasaburo-kun now?" Chibi-Usa wondered, her expression crestfallen as she slumped in her seat "He probably thinks I'm such a klutz now, I'm just glad Lelouch-san wasn't here to see me…"

"Wait, Lelouch?" Usagi wondered, the future king and Queen of earth blinking at their daughter in joint confusion and surprise "You mean Lelouch Lamperouge?"

"You know him?" Chibi-Usa wondered, looking up at her future parents in surprise "Tall foreign guy, Mamo-chan's age, purple eyes?"

"That's Lelouch-san alright…" Mamoru noted, the future king looking surprised at the fact his daughter had met their enigmatic friend "Where did you bump into him?"

"I ran into him in the street before I met up with you two." Chibi-Usa admitted, her gaze going distant as her features turned red "He was so COOL! Like a Prince from a fairy tale!" she beamed nervously up at Mamoru, who'd quirked a brow at her "Of course, Mamo-chan will always be number one with me!"

"Back off brat." Usagi growled, wrapping an arm possessively around Mamoru's whilst sending warning glares at her future daughter "Mamo-chan's MINE."

"Easy Usako…" Mamoru chided, slipping his arm out of her grip before she cut off his circulation altogether, smiling at his future daughter as he spoke "In any case, I'm glad you met someone new, Chibi-Usa, but wouldn't someone your own age be a better start?"

"So I should start hanging out with more college students then?" Chibi-Usa asked, snorting wryly as her father flushed, recalling that despite her appearance, she was a lot older than she looked, even if her mentality was that of a child "Besides, I'm already friends with the Senshi, what's it matter if I make friends with people older than me?"

"She's got you there Mamo-chan." Usagi opined, causing the reincarnated prince to sweatdrop at his girls ganging up on him, albeit unintentionally "Besides, we're friends with Haruka-san and Michiru-san, so it's really not that different."

Chibi-Usa nodded, sighing in recollection of the pair from older women, once again marveling at how regal they looked in their Kimono, only to blink as an idea struck.

* * *

_with lulu... _

"No doubt about it." C3 reported, the Caucasus Zecter coming back to report to her partner, who was steering clear of the tea house to be safe "Those two are DEFINITELY staking out the tea house."

"I thought as much…" Lelouch muttered, nodding his head "Wherever those two go, the Death Busters usually make an appearance. Even if I can't track the Daimon Seeds anymore, I can still estimate their next target by following them."

"Admit it, you just find a thrill in stalking two beautiful ladies." C3 teased, earning a scoff from Lelouch, who waved the golden Zecter off, only to scowl as a familiar white Station-wagon rocketed past, skidding around the corner, heading towards the teahouse.

"Bingo…" he muttered, revving the engine of the Side-Bashaar and giving chase, activating his bracer as he rode past.

* * *

And so Chibi-Usa meets Japan in the 21st century.

God help her.

Seriously, i LOVED the Shin-Chan reference, absolutely hilarious.

Two more to go for this update streak people!


	26. Chapter 26

Update 6 of seven for U.A.E national day.

And Eudial finally gets her wish, an up close and personal encounter with the Rider.

enjoy.

* * *

The Legend of Caucasus.

"I won't let you take Tamasaburo's Pure Heart Crystal!" Chibi-Moon Called out, standing before the downed tea master and his gem "I'm the Apprentice Sailor Senshi, Sailor Chibi Moon! And in the Name of the Future Moon, I will Punish you!"

"Chagama!" Eudial called out, the redheaded member of Witches % tossing her labcoat aside as the boot of her van opened to reveal her latest Daimon, a green creature wearing tea ceremony robes. It's eyes were concealed by it's hair, which was shaped like a tea ceremony brush. For some reason it appeared to be sitting on a cushion, which was levitating a few feet off the ground "Get rid of that little pest!"

"CHAGAMA!" The Daimon cried, riding it's levitating cushion as it raced through the air, reaching into it's robes and pulling out an oversized napkin, hurling it at Chibi-Moon, who grabbed Tamasaburo's Crystal scant seconds before she was wrapped in the confining fabric.

"WORLD SHAKING!" a voice called out, Chibi-Moon's eyes widening as a planet shaped sphere of energy crashed into her restraints, freeing her from her confinement, Chagama unable to do anything but pull up short in alarm, only to be knocked out of the air by a wave of water, which crashed into her with a cry of "DEEP SUBMERGE!"

"You two again?" Eudial muttered, glaring at the Outer Senshi in annoyance as they introduced themselves "Don't you two have better things to do than interfere with us?"

"We do." Uranus scoffed, smirking at the redhead mockingly while Neptune checked the Crystal for a Talisman "Which is why were going to see if this was a waste of time before heading off to finish up."

"No luck I'm afraid…" Neptune sighed, sighing in relief as she released the Crystal, sending it back to Tamasaburo "No Talisman."

"Another bust?" Eudial cursed, backing away from the Senshi with a scowl as she made to clamber back into her car "Chagama! I leave this to you! Get rid of those pests!"

"BATTLE MODE!" a voice called out, Eudial pausing in confusion, only to shriek in alarm as a massive, two-legged walker Mech descended on her from on high, forcing her to scramble away from her car to avoid being crushed.

"W-What the hell?" she stammered, looking up at the mech in alarm, only to curse as she recognized it from the footage that Kaolinite had sent back.

"Yo." Uranus called out, smirking at the sight of the mech and its rider "You're late to the party Gold Bug, we already checked the crystal."

"I figured it wouldn't be one either way." Caucasus countered, earning a look of intrigue from the kept Senshi even as he kept his mech between Eudial and her ride "In any case, I'm here for more important matters…" he turned to gaze at Eudial "Namely HER."

"You'll never take me Alive!" Eudial countered, grimacing as she staggered to her feet, eyeing the mech warily "Chagama!"

"HAI!" the Daimon cried, hovering between her master and the rider, whipping out a tea bowl, stirring the contents furiously for a few seconds, before charging the Rider and Mech head on "Have some tea!"

Caucasus' answer came in the form of a hail of gunfire, the poor Daimon's eyes actually widening under her hair just before a thick cloud of smoke and debris eclipsed her form.

"Sheesh…Overkill much Gold Bug?" Uranus muttered, quirking a brow at the Rider, a wry smirk on her face even as Neptune lowered her hands from her ears.

"Like I was going to sit around and let her THROW that stuff on me?" Caucasus countered, his tone mocking, only to curse as the sound of a car engine sounded up, Eudial having somehow gotten past him, using the smokescreen as a cover "FUCK!"

"Looks like she gave you the slip." Uranus noted, her tone amused as she listened to the Rider rant off curses in several languages "That isn't like you Gold Bug."

"I wouldn't HAVE to capture her if you'd let me take Kaolinite ALIVE." Caucasus reminded the short-haired senshi, Uranus merely shrugging offhandedly in response.

"WOW!" a voice called out, the group looking down to see the pink haired form of Chibi-Moon glancing up at the golden Rider in awe "Caucasus-san! It's really you!"

"Seems my reputation precedes me." Caucasus noted, his tone amused as he eyed the Apprentice Sailor Senshi, dropping down from the Side-Bashaar to get a better look at her "And who might you be? Sailor Moon's little sister?"

"Hardly!" Chibi-Moon countered, going through a pose "I'm the Senshi of the Future Moon! Fresh from the 22nd Century, Sailor Chibi-Moon!"

"22nd Century?" Caucasus repeated, the Golden Rider's tone confused, even as the Outer Senshi blinked at her in shock "Wait, as in you came here from the Future?"

"Uhuh!" Chibi-Moon exclaimed "Mama sent me back in time to make friends, but I never thought I'd get to meet the legendary Caucasus!"

"Wait, Hold up…" Uranus called out, her expression lined with confusion "You're telling me Gold Bug there's Famous in your time?"

"Of course he is!" Chibi-Moon exclaimed, looking at the older Senshi in disbelief "He's the one that lead the people to survive the Big Freeze before Mama created Silver Tokyo!"

* * *

_With Eudial... _

Eudial drove like a madwoman, her eyes wide with terror, her red hair lined with soot, dirt and leaves, her clothes reeking of gun smoke as she pressed the gas pedal down as far as it would go.

'That guy's CRAZY!' she swore, her heart racing a mile a minute as she tried to forget how close she'd come from being reduced to a smoldering, bullet ridden carcass on Tamasaburo's garden 'No WONDER Kaolinite had a hard time of it!'

Eudial wasn't delusional, she KNEW that Kaolinite was no pushover, the woman had been the Professor's assistant LONG before Witches 5 had even been formed, she knew more about the man than anyone else in the Death Busters.

Naturally, this meant that whenever she had to deal with Witches 5, the elder redhead had been unbearably smug, so it was little wonder they weren't sorry to see her go.

Now however, Eudial almost wished that her predecessor was still around, at the very least, she'd have made a decent meat shield.

'How the hell is he able to track us so fast?' she wondered, taking a corner on two wheels, almost knocking over a kid listening to an SDAT 'Even the Senshi take a few minutes to show up, does he target the same people we do?'

In any case, Eudial had no intentions of slowing down, or stopping for that matter, until she was safely within the confines of the lab.

* * *

_With Lulu... _

"Cryatal…Tokyo?" Caucasus repeated, his tone confused as he blinked down at the pink haired Senshi in training, a little thrown by her revelation.

"Mhm!" Chibi-Moon exclaimed, her tone excited as she glanced up at the Golden Rider, her eyes sparkling with hero worship that reminded him, vaguely, of Kaguya "Mama always said if it weren't for you, Crystal Tokyo wouldn't have been HALF as impressive as it is!"

"Hang on a sec…" Uranus called out, the shorthaired Senshi looking down at the teen in understandable confusion "Are you trying to tell me that Gold Bug here helped make Crystal Tokyo?"

"Well…not exactly…" Chibi-Moon countered, shaking her head, "It's more like he ensured that there COULD be a Crystal Tokyo by saving as many people as he could before the Big Freeze."

"And what about the Silence?" Uranus called out, the senshi stepping forwards, a look of determination on her face that was a little intimidating "Is there any record of that?"

"I've never heard of this 'Silence' thing…" Chibi-Moon countered, a frown on her face as she shrugged her shoulders "But then Mama and the others never like to talk about their days as Sailor Senshi."

"Wait…Your MOTHER was a Senshi?" Caucasus repeated, blinking down at the pink haired midget he'd assumed was Usagi's cousin, or little sister "Don't tell me…Sailor Moon And Tuxedo Kamen?"

"Mhm!" Rini nodded, smiling up at the Golden Rider earnestly "Although they go by Neo-Queen Serenity and King Endymion now. I'm so psyched! They never told me they knew about the Shinsoku Senshi!"

"God-Speed Warrior?" Neptune repeated, quirking a brow as she looked from the equally confused Caucasus to the Apprentice Senshi "I suppose it fits, you ARE rather fast Caucasus-san."

"I still don't get how he's alive in the future." Uranus countered, her tone confused, though overlaid with a layer of suspicion "I mean, how's he LIVE that long, no offence Gold Bug?"

"None taken." Caucasus assured her, his tone indifferent, even as he turned to Chibi-Moon for emphasis "I'd also like to know how I'm supposed to be alive over 1000 years from now."

"Well…you aren't…" Chibi-Moon admitted, looking down at her feet nervously "I mean, you WERE alive when Crystal Tokyo was formed, and led the surviving humans up till that point, but you'd…disappeared, long before I was born." She looked up at the Rider, eyes wide "But everyone remembers you! Next to Mama and the Senshi, you're the most famous hero of all time! Even Yuuki-san talks about you!"

"So Yuuki's still alive is he?" Caucasus noted, the Rider internally wondering if this had to do with the fact that Yuichiro, like Rei's Grandfather, being an Oni, and thus destined to outlive lesser mortals by the odd generation or so.

"Mhm!" Chibi-Moon admitted, nodding her head excitedly "He's really strong! But he's usually out fighting monsters, so I hardly ever see him." She smiled at the Rider "He and Mars are married! They have a kid too!"

"THEY WHAT?" a voice called out, the group turning to see Sailor Moon fall face-first into a nearby rock-pool, her attempt at a stylish entrance ruined by the bombshell her future daughter had just dropped.

"Yo." Uranus called out, the shorthaired Senshi smirking coyly as she waved at the unbalanced, pigtailed leader of the inners "Late as usual, eh Moon?"

"I got stuck and Chibi ran on ahead!" Moon countered, rising from the pool, not even bothering with her drenched hair as she crossed the distance between herself and her daughter almost instantaneously, so fast, indeed, that Caucasus idly wondered if that was how a Clock-Up looked like from the outside "Chibi-Are you serious? Rei…MARS is going to be a mommy?"

"Well…yeah?" Chibi-Moon stammered, looking a little creeped out by how intense the look in the normally air-headed blonde's blue eyes was "He's a few years younger than me though, so we never really mixed much."

"Chibi-Moon, was it?" Neptune called out, her tone hesitant, as if she couldn't quite believe what she was hearing "If you're from the future, do you know anything about the Holy Grail?"

"Huh? You mean Mama's Holy Grail?" Chibi-Moon wondered, blinking up at the elder Senshi in confusion, causing Sailor Moon to blink and the Outers to tense "I saw a picture of it once when I snuck into Mama's room." She sighed happily "It was really pretty, covered in jewels, I always wanted one just like it."

"So Sailor Moon gets her hands on the Holy Grail at some point." Caucasus noted, causing the Senshi, old and new, to look at him in surprise "I guess that answers the question of whether or not the silence will be stopped."

"You don't know that." Uranus countered, even as Moon, both of them, blinked at the word 'Silence' in confusion "For all we know she got it AFTER the Silence!"

"A valid point, nobody knows WHAT caused the Big Freeze after all." Caucasus allotted, shrugging offhandedly "Still, at the very least you can rest assured that SOMEONE stopped the Silence."

"Yeah, and it'll be US." Uranus insisted, her tone strict "No offense moon, but you're not exactly 'Messiah' material…" she smirked coyly "A MESS maybe…"

"Hey!" Moon exclaimed, looking up at the elder Senshi in annoyance, only to pout as they turned and leapt away, leaving the rest of them in the garden "That was mean."

"She's only teasing you." Caucasus countered, his tone amused as he turned to Chibi-Moon, dropping the stolen Pure Heart Crystal he'd retrieved for Tamasaburo in the apprentice Senshi's hands "Give that back to its owner."

"Ah! Wait!" Chibi-Moon called out, halting the Golden Rider in his tracks "C-Caucasus-san…if it's alright with you…" she blushed slightly "C-Can I call you my friend?"

"What kind of question is that?" Caucasus called out, his head tilted to the side, causing the apprentice Senshi to flinch and look away "I am the Ally of those who are without power, and the Enemy of those who abuse their power." He nodded towards the confused future Senshi "I will always be a friend to those who need me."

Chibi-Moon brightened, beaming at the Rider as he mounted Side-Bashaar, the mechanized walker reverting to motorcycle mode as the Rider rode off, leaving the two moon's standing in the ruined garden. "He's so COOL!" the Future Senshi exclaimed, her cheeks as pink as her hair as she gushed over the meeting with one of her Heroes "He's ten times, NO! A HUNDRED times cooler than the stories make him out to be!"

"I find that a little hard to believe…" a bemused voice noted, the girls looking up to see Tuxedo Kamen standing over them, a calm smile on his face "I see you two started working together again."

"Uh…yeah…" the two Moon's stammered, neither of them willing to admit that they hadn't really done all that much, as Caucasus and the Outers had done all the real fighting.

"Still, I have to admit I was surprised to hear that Caucasus and Yuuki exist in the future." The Tuxedo wearing Prince of Earth noted, his tone surprised "I wonder why we didn't see them when we went there?"

"Most of the Riders were off dealing with the rest of the Dark Moon clan's forces around the globe." Chibi-Moon explained, her tone low "And Caucasus-san disappeared a long time before I was born…right after Mama became Neo-Queen Serenity apparently."

"Wait, Disappeared?" Sailor Moon wondered, the elder Senshi blinking down at her future counterpart's daughter in confusion "You don't mean…he died?"

"Well…that's what everyone believes." Chibi-Moon murmured, looking down at the Heart Crystal held in her hands sadly, only to look up defiantly "But I know he's alive! I saw him!"

"Eh?" Sailor Moon wondered, the future King and Queen of Neo-tokyo looking down at their only, to their knowledge, offspring in confusion "What do you mean?"

"When Sailor Pluto was sending me back to the past, several Droids managed to break into the Palace." Chibi-Moon explained, her eyes going distant at the memory "I was trapped in the time vortex, unable to move..."

* * *

_Moon Flashback POWA-! _

_"Damn!" Sailor Pluto cursed, the Green Haired Senshi of Time stepping before Chibi-Usa, the terrified princess standing before the Time Gates just as a horde of Dark Moon Droids broke into the sanctum "Go! Small Lady!"_

_"Plu-!" Chibi-Usa exclaimed, hugging her Luna-P to her chest in fear, looking on as Pluto leapt at the enemy, lashing out with her Garnet Staff, intent on holding them off long enough for the Queen's daughter to slip away._

_"So this is Small Lady...?" a voice called out, the pink haired princess jumping in fright, looking up in alarm to see a hunched figure, dressed in robes, his features hidden from view, hovering in the air above her "Such a small thing…" his eyes glowed ominously beneath his cowl "You'll make such a useful bargaining chip-!"_

_"RIDER BEAT!" a voice called out, the cloaked figure looking up just in time to avoid the Tachyon empowered fist that was aimed at his face, vanishing in a swirl of smoke, leaving the blow to slam into a nearby wall._

_"Damn…" the assailant swore, Chibi-Usa's eyes widening as she gazed upon his golden, armored form in wonder "Teleportation…I HATE it when they do that!"_

_"Caucasus!" Pluto called out, the Green Haired Senshi swamped on all sides by several droids, a cut on her head testament to how critical the situation was "Send Small Lady through the Gates!"_

_"Got it!" the figure acknowledged, whipping round and grabbing the gaping pinkette around the waist, racing towards the gates with her under his arm like a football, setting her down in front of it._

_"You're…Caucasus!" Chibi-Usa exclaimed, the princess looking up at the Golden Rider in amazement, unable to believe she was facing a legend almost as old as the Sailor Senshi "You're alive?"_

_"Last I checked." The Golden Rider chuckled, his tone amused, only to flinch, looking over his shoulder sharply as Pluto cried out in pain and anger "Sorry Princess, wish I could give you a better send off, but you need to go NOW."_

_"Wait!" Chibi-Usa Exclaimed, wanting to know more, only for Caucasus to shove her backwards into the Time Gates, the last sight the Pink Haired princess saw before she was enveloped in the time stream was of him turning to face the oncoming droids, his hand slapping the button on his waist._

* * *

_WAKE UP! _

"If it weren't for Caucasus-san, I never would have made it to the past the first time." Chibi-Moon admitted, her tone reverent as she held her hands to her chest "I wanted to thank him, once everything had calmed down, but I couldn't find him anywhere, no matter who I asked."

"I'm sure he's still alive." Tuxedo Kamen assured his future daughter, smiling confidently down at the younger Serenity.

"Of course he is!" Chibi-Moon proclaimed, looking up at her father's 20th Century counterpart confidently "Caucasus-san isn't so weak that a few droids can take him down!"

"That's for sure." Sailor Moon agreed, nodding her head in agreement "I mean, he took that first Daimon down like it was NOTHING, while my Princess Wand did Squat!"

"You sure that isn't because you stink?" Chibi-Moon asked wryly, the two Moons going head to head, stretching each others faces, while Tuxedo Kamen palmed his face in exasperation.

* * *

_Death Buster HQ... _

"You failed again, Eudial-Kun." The Professor noted, his tone disapproving as he addressed the currently bespectacled redhead over the phone. "Not only was the target a bust, but you failed to even gather any further insight into the Rider's Technology."

"My Deepest apologies, Professor…" Eudial offered, the redhead flinching, knowing instinctively that while the others were working away, they no-doubt knew the reason behind the Professor's call.

"Still, I suppose I should have expected as much." The Professor noted, causing Eudial to flinch again, believing his opinion of her had dropped "The Rider seems to have a knack for popping up when least expected."

"It would appear he's able to track us somehow." Eudial noted, covering up her sigh of relief, unwilling to let the others notice her discomfort, image was EVERYTHING after all "It would explain how he was able to locate Kaolinite's attempts as well."

"A most troubling turn of events." The Professor muttered, his tone grim as he pondered the idea of someone being able to track their movements. "Though it begs the question, why hasn't he tracked us HERE?"

"I believe this gives credence to our earlier theory that he was tracking our, rather Kaolinite's, movements through the energy signature emitted by Daimon and Daimon Seeds." Eudial concurred her fingers blurring over her keyboard as she spoke "As you no doubt know they give off a specific energy signature that we ourselves use to track their movements in the field. I believe the reason my attacks have been better than Kaolinite's is because the Daimon 'I' deploy are pre-packaged."

"Well that's a small relief." The Doctor supposed, sighing offhandedly, as it meant that there were less chances of his creations getting destroyed in the future "Nonetheless, keep your guard up in future, Eudial." He ordered sharply "At the very least, try to catch some footage of the Rider's technology in action before running away next time."

"Yes, Professor…" Eudial offered, flinching once more at her master's parting jab even as he hung up, the redhead lowering the receiver back to its bed, letting out an exhausted sigh as she slumped in her chair.

Ever since she'd returned from the disastrous mission in the Tea Garden, the redhead had done little but sit in her chair, trying to take whatever comfort she could in the familiar, darkened surroundings that concealed countless experiments, all to further the Death Busters' goal of attaining the talismans, and through them, the Holy Grail.

Like the others, she'd scoffed at Kaolinite's repeated failures against what to them appeared to be glorified cheerleaders in short skirts, knowing that the Riders were the real threat, though Yuuki was considered less of one than Caucasus, due in part to the fact he was relatively new to the scene, and never seemed to leave the Golden Rider's side, implying inexperience, cementing Caucasus' position as their greatest threat.

That opinion had been reinforced thanks to her near-fatal encounter with him in Tamasaburo's garden, if she hadn't had the wits to send Chagama in to distract him, she had no doubt the Golden Rider would have crushed her with his mech, that or blasted her to pieces with it's armory.

'Where could it possibly hide such an ordinance?' she wondered, shivering as the memory of gunfire washed over her once more 'Hell how does he reload? Does he have access to the JSDF armory of something?'

* * *

_with lulu..._

"You catching a cold there Lulu?" Haruka asked, the blonde cross-dresser turning to face the former Emperor, an equally concerned Michiru turning to look as well.

"Just a little cold…" Lelouch muttered, sniffing quickly to clear his sinuses, accepting a handkerchief from Michiru to wipe off his hands "Getting chilly out here, I don't see how you can wear those things."

"It's traditional." Haruka countered, smiling as she stood with her hands hidden in the sleeves of her tea-ceremony Kimono, a MAN'S Kimono of course, while Michiru was dressed in a beautiful women's kimono.

The two of them had invited Lelouch out for tea after bumping into him on the way to Tamasaburo's home, the former Emperor having come back to check up on the tea-prodigy in the wake of yesterday's attack.

Lelouch, of course, was dressed in his usual street clothes, consisting of a red jacket over a sleeveless black muscle shirt and black pants, and was idly wondering if he would even be allowed in the door, as from what little he recalled of tea-ceremonies, those he and Kaguya had attended, they put a lot of truck by appearance and tradition.

'Hell if it weren't for her infatuation with 'Zero' she probably would have had me dress up to look the part.' The former Emperor chuckled, shaking his head in bemusement, only to look up as the door slid open, his eyes widening at the sight before him.

"Sorry to keep you waiting!" Tamasaburo called out, the effeminate boy dressed, much to Lelouch's horrified wonderment, in a fetching rendition of a Sailor Senshi Uniform, ribbons and all.

"T-Tamasaburo-kun…" Michiru stammered, the normally reserved aquamarine woman thrown for a loop by the apparition before her "W-What on earth?"

"Do you like it?" Tamasaburo asked, doing a little twirl that Lelouch would've considered cute were it not for the fact the emperor KNEW he was looking at a young man in drag. "I had a dream the other day, in it I was rescued by two lovely warriors!" his eyes sparkled, heedless of Michiru and Haruka's flinch "The awe I felt from that dream was so great, it helped me discover a new path for Japanese Tea Ceremonies!"

"You've got to be kidding me…" Haruka muttered, a sweatdrop marring the side of her head, even as Tamasaburo went through an elaborate opening pose.

"For courtesy and Good Manners! The Handsome Soldier in a Sailor Suit!" the Tea-Prodigy called out, imitating Sailor Moon's 'Spiral Heart Attack' whilst balancing a Tea cup on the end of his ladle "Sailor Tamasaburo!"

Lelouch twitched, his whole body shivering in the face of the sheer absurdity of the spectacle before him, fighting to keep himself from laughing while Haruka and Michiru looked on in horrified mortification.

'If Todoh ever saw this he'd probably force the poor kid to commit seppuku.' He noted wryly, shaking his head in bemusement, holding up a hand to stall Michiru and Haruka, even as they tried to make some excuse to leave "Tamasaburo-Kun…" he intoned, stealthily activating his Geass "You are aware of how ridiculous you look don't you? Don't you think it'd be better to forget this and practice normal tea ceremonies?"

Tamasaburo blinked, only for his features to freeze for half a second, his eyes ringed with the red effect of those under the effect of a Geass, only for it to fade as he clapped his hands over his cheeks in embarrassment "Ah! You're right!" the bishounen exclaimed, his features reddening in mortification "What was I thinking! I need to get changed! Please forget you saw this! I implore you!"

"I saw nothing." Lelouch assured the boy, smiling at him as he scampered off to get changed, his face redder than Mars' Sailor Fuku.

"Damn Lulu…" Haruka whistled, the shorthaired cross-dresser still looking a little unsettled by what she'd just seen "you should be a Teacher or something."

"Indeed…" Michiru agreed, the aquamarine haired woman eyeing the Foreign teen approvingly from her spot at Haruka's side "You have such a way with kids, to make him see reason like that!"

"It's simply a matter of looking at them from their level." Lelouch opined, which wasn't exactly false, eye-to-eye was one of the weaknesses of his Geass after all "Still, I must admit I was shocked when he first came out." He admitted with a smile "Those female Warriors must have been quite the lookers."

When Tamasaburo returned, still flushing, it was to find two of his guests flushing even more furiously than he had been moments ago, while the third was smiling like the cat that got locked in a creamery.

* * *

And thus the legend of Caucasus is spread.

I always wondered how chibi-usa was sent back, so i took liberties since the timelines been altered.

one more to go for this update streak people!


	27. Chapter 27

Last update for U.A.E national day.

And Yuuichirou's first solo mission.

enjoy.

* * *

Flying Solo.

The mist hung low over the mountains, filtering through the valleys and into the deepest reaches of the forests that filled them, only the sound of the wind and the cawing of birds audible to anyone who could identify them.

Normally, that is, for now a new sound echoed on the wind, the gasps of a young woman running full-tilt through the woods, her bare feet scuffing at the cold, hard dirt of the mountain paths.

However, contrary to belief, the girl wasn't running FROM anything, so much as running TOWARDS it, namely the chance to improve herself, evident from her white Karate gi and bare feet, and the look of determination on her face as she pressed on, heedless of the cold weather around her.

'I need to get stronger…' Kino Makoto repeated, the tall brunette and Senshi of Thunder's eyes locked forwards, fixed on the path ahead, though it didn't stop the images from flashing through her mind, of her constant defeats at the hands of their latest enemies, the Daimon, of her ineffectiveness against the Death Busters, and most recently, the memory of having her Pure Heart Crystal Extracted.

'I'm always being rescued these days…' she noted, her brows marring as she recalled how Usagi would always finish the monsters off, or Caucasus, Uranus or Neptune would take them down while she and the rest of the Senshi looked on from the sidelines 'I'm not used to being the one that needs defending…' she snorted wryly 'Wow…I think I understand how Mamoru-san feels.'

So caught up in her thoughts was she, the brunette didn't see the raised root until she'd actually caught her foot in it, letting out a cry of alarm as she tripped, slamming into the ground face first with a bone-jarring crash.

'That's what I get for not paying attention…' she muttered, berating herself for making such an air-headed mistake 'I'm starting to act like Usagi…' she muttered, though she mentally apologized to the blonde even as she said it.

Unbidden, the memory of the latest Daimon attack rose to her mind, the Senshi grimacing as she recalled how the Battery Daimon 'Irondar' had tossed her around like a rag doll, even swatting aside her Sparkling Wide Pressure with one hand, only to be destroyed because Caucasus had appeared, the Golden Rider finishing the Daimon off with a Rider Kick before vanishing before they could thank him.

'We can't keep relying on him forever…' Makoto reasoned, gritting her teeth as she pushed herself off the ground 'Sure he's a good guy, a hero if Chibi-Usa's stories are to be believed, but we need to start winning our OWN fights or we'll be helpless when he's not around!'

So saying, the Senshi of Thunder pushed herself back to her feet, determined to surpass her limitations through arduous training.

* * *

_Hikawa shrine... _

"So Jupiter's gone to the mountains for training?" Lelouch asked, the former emperor quirking a brow at Rei's grandfather as the old man poured him tea "I thought things like that only happened in manga. Do people actually do that here?"

"Not as often as the old days, no." Hino admitted, shrugging his shoulders as he sat back on his knees, admiring the shrine garden from the porch "But you still get the odd fanatic or goofball that'll try anything once if the mood takes them."

"Still, I wonder what brought the need for this on?" Lelouch wondered, taking a sip of the offered tea with an appreciative sigh. It wasn't the same as one of Tamasaburo's brews, but Rei's Grandfather prided himself on many things, including his mastery of all forms of Japanese cultural activities.

"A wise man once said: 'A Chain is only as Strong as its Weakest Link'." Hino revealed, nodding his head sagely "I believe Mako-chan does not wish to be that link."

"Jupiter's hardly WEAK." Lelouch countered, quirking a brow at the old man even as Hino took a sip of his own tea "Of all the inner Senshi, she's probably the most skilled at combat."

"True," Hino acknowledged, having seen Jupiter in action more than once "but there are many forms of strength, and as many forms of weakness. One can never stop improving oneself, to do so is to rot."

"So to stop is to die is it?" Lelouch noted, quirking a brow at the old man's logic "You make it sound like she's a shark."

"An apt description." Hino snorted "Still, it does pose a quandary, I don't like the idea of her being on her up there in the mountains…you never know what might happen up there."

"Yes, the OTHER fanatic goofballs might take it upon themselves to take advantage." Lelouch replied snidely, though his eyes were serious. Sailor Senshi or not, Makoto was still an attractive young woman. The idea of her on her own, save for a bunch of lunatics and hermits that probably hadn't seen a woman in years, made his brotherly instincts flare like a Sakuradite Mine "I can't leave the city though, there's too much risk of a Death Buster attack."

"Why not send Yuichiro then?" Hino asked, the old man smiling up at the former emperor even as Lelouch quirked a brow at the suggestion "It'd be good for him, give him a chance to fly solo."

"And a chance to score points with your granddaughter?" Lelouch asked wryly, his brow quirked knowingly, only to shake his head as Hino smiled cryptically back at him "You think he's up for it?"

"Were you?" Hino asked, earning a wry snort from the foreign teen "Yu-chan needs to gain experience, he's got the basics down, but as the saying goes, every now and again, a nestling needs a little push."

"Or a good kick in the pants." Lelouch snorted, earning a bark of laughter from Rei's grandfather, even as the sliding doors opened to admit Yuichiro.

"Ah! Yu-chan!" Hino greeted, the old Priest wiping tears of mirth from his eyes as he turned to face the younger Oni Rider "Pack your things! You're leaving for the mountains!"

"Eh?" Yuichiro wondered, blinking in confusion beneath his hair, looking from Lelouch to Hino for some explanation, only for none to be forthcoming "Did I miss something?"

* * *

_Death Buster HQ... _

"Are you there, Eudial-kun?" the Professor asked, his tone amused, as he knew EXACTLY where all the members of witches 5 were at all times, he was just creepy like that.

"I'm here, Professor." The bespectacled redhead answered, her fingers blurring over her keyboard as she spoke into the phone "I've already selected the next target."

"Have you now?" the Professor noted, his tone laced with approval "As expected of Eudial-Kun." He applauded, causing the redhead's pride to swell "So? Who's the next target?"

"A Monk of the Nichiren School, Yakushiji Kakusui." Eudial replied, bringing up the image and profile of the man in question "He's been training in the mountains for over four years now, searching for the meaning of life." She paused, smirking to herself as she pushed her glasses back up "He possesses a heart of a purity rarely seen in people as of late."

The professor scoffed, clearly not thinking much of such things. So long as the monk's heart contained a talisman, he could care less of the man's character.

"By the way, Professor." Eudial asked over the line "I understand it's a bit late for this, but Kaolinite's notes neglected to mention what the Talisman's looked like."

'A mistake I'm sure she left in on purpose.' The Professor noted to himself, smiling at his former assistant's fickle, spiteful nature towards the Witches 5 "If the Pure Hearts are the right ones, they should transform into the shape of three Divine Objects: A Mirror, A Sword and an Orb." He leered "And when the three Talismans are brought together, the Holy Grail shall appear!"

* * *

_Welcome to space-time Train Den...wait... _

'Wow…' Yuichiro wondered, the Oni-Rider grimacing as he watched Usagi shovel the food from the bento box he'd bought for the trip into her ravenous mouth 'Where does she put all that?'

"I'm so thrilled!" the blonde senshi exclaimed, her mouth stuffed with food as she paused in the middle of her gorging, much to the relief of the other Senshi "It's for reasons like this that I love travelling!"

"Good grief…" Rei muttered, Yuichiro marvelling at how pretty the priestess looked in her red dress, even with a look of exasperation on her face "Slow down a little why don't you? You've got food all over your cheeks!"

"Thank you again for buying the bento for us, Yuichiro-san." Ami offered, the polite bluenette smiling at the Oni-Rider, earning a nod from the others.

"Yeah, good thing gramps asked you to come along or Usagi would've blown our travel money on snacks." Rei muttered, earning a plaintive wail from the blonde, which was rather ruined by her having food in her mouth at the time "Baka! Either eat or talk, make up your mind!"

Yuichiro chuckled, always glad to see the girls getting along as they did. He personally believed that Rei looked her best whenever she was in her priestess robes, but seeing her act like a normal girl gave him hope for the future. "I'm going to the bathroom." He stated, interrupting the bickering between the pair as he got to his feet, setting the remaining bento down on his seat "Anyone wants more, help yourselves!"

"Hai!" Usagi cheered, ignoring Rei's look of exasperation as they watched the priestess' would be suitor walk away "Man, Rei-chan, you're so lucky to have a nice guy like Yuichiro-san."

"T-There isn't anything like that going on between us!" Rei stammered, her face lighting up in embarrassment at the insinuation, as Usagi knew it would.

"She's right Usagi." Minako chided, the other blonde Senshi waving her chopsticks for emphasis, a teasing look in her eyes "Besides, Chibi-Usa said she marries Yuuki-san in the future, remember?"

"That kid's on crack…" Rei muttered, turning her head to the side to hide the flush that adorned her features "I mean so what if he's a Rider? I don't even KNOW the guy!"

"You knew him well enough to have a KID together." Usagi pointed out, the blonde grinning teasingly as Rei's face went as red as her skirt "Guess we'll be setting up a day-care together."

"Usagi-!" a plaintive voice yowled, Artemis and Luna popping their heads out of their respective ward's travel bags, looking suffocated and hungry "I'm hungry!"

"C'mon Mina…" Artemis whined, the white Mau looking up at the Senshi of love with his patented 'kitty eyes' expression "Can't we have some too?"

"Sure…" Minako and Usagi sighed, cutting off the end of their tempura prawns and dropping them into the gaping mouths of their respective guardians.

"Speaking of Chibi-Usa…' Rei muttered, the mortally embarrassed fire senshi desperate to turn the subject around "I'm surprised she didn't tag along."

"Hm, I just reminded her that I was her Mother in the future." Usagi answered, her tone boastful as she paused in her eating "She seemed satisfied with my explanation."

* * *

_Cut scene! _

"U-SA-GI…!" Chibi-Usa growled, the pink haired Serenity glaring at the open back door to the Tsukino house. The future princess of Crystal Tokyo had been all set to join the rest of the Senshi on their journey, eager to get some training in with Makoto, who she knew was the most physically capable of them all.

Instead, Usagi had made some excuse about using the bathroom, leaving Chibi-Usa waiting in the hallway for what must have been hours before her future daughter thought to check to see what was taking so long, only to find not only was the toilet empty, but the back door to the Tsukino house was wide open, and had been like that for some time judging by the chill in the hallway.

"She just snuck out and left me here!" the apprentice Senshi exclaimed, her features murderous, or as murderous as they could get considering her ancestry, her knuckles tightening on the straps of her backpack as she ripped it off her back "I'll never forgive her for this!" she exclaimed, tossing the backpack to the ground in a huff.

* * *

_Karma, thou art a bitch..._

Usagi yelped, one of the bags from the overhead rack having fallen on her head for no apparent reason. She didn't know why, but for some reasons she just knew Chibi-Usa was responsible somehow.

"Hey girls." Yuichiro called out, Luna and Artemis ducking quickly out of sight as the aspiring musician walked towards them "We're coming up to our stop in a few minutes, might wanna get ready."

"Arigato, Yuichiro-san." Ami offered, smiling up at the long-haired young man in appreciation, even as Usagi and Minako redoubled their efforts to finish their bento boxes "Are you alright?" she asked, looking at the man in concern, noting his slightly flushed, damp appearance.

"Had a sneezing fit while I was cleaning up in the bathroom." Yuichiro admitted, rubbing his nose in embarrassment as he sniffed "Someone must have been talking about me."

"Gee, I wonder who…" Minako drawled, smiling pointedly at Rei and Usagi, the priestess flushing while her fellow blonde joined in the leering, right up until Rei shoved her shrimp into her mouth.

* * *

_With Mako-chan... _

"Hah!" Makoto called out, the brunette punching and kicking at a length of rope that had been wrapped around the trunk of one of the temple trees for the specific purpose of serving as a training tool.

'It was a good idea to come here…' the senshi of thunder noted, literally dancing around the trunk, attacking it from all angles, giving her entire body the workout it needed to get back into peak condition 'I haven't really cut loose in a long time…I missed the feeling.'

"Mako-chan!" a series of voices called out, snapping the Brunette out of her routine, whipping round to see her friends, and an exhausted Kumada Yuichiro for some reason, standing at the top of the steps leading up to the temple.

"Everyone?" the brunette wondered, turning to face the group, a look of surprised, though not unwelcoming, on her face as she jogged over "What are you all doing here?"

"We're here to help your training of course!" Usagi exclaimed, heedless of the looks of exasperation the others were sending her, having caught onto her ploy to visit Mamoru at the hotel he was working at nearby through Luna while Yuichiro was getting their bags.

"That wasn't very nice of you." Rei opined, smirking at the startled brunet with a hand on her hip, her tone lined with wry amusement "Just leaving like that without telling us."

"That's right!" Minako agreed, the blonde smiling brightly up at her tall friend "We'll help you out in any way we can!"

"Everyone…" Makoto exclaimed, the brunette's features settling in an embarrassed, grateful smile as she beamed at them "Thank you…" she offered, only to sweatdrop as she turned to regard Yuichiro, who was panting for breath "But why's Yuichiro-san here?"

"Grandpa wouldn't let us leave without him." Rei sighed, shaking her head in exasperation, as if she DIDN'T appreciate her would-be suitor's presence "Something about it not being safe, four girls travelling on their own."

"He's just concerned about you Rei-chan." Ami assured her friend, smiling kindly at Yuichiro as he struggled to catch his breath "Besides, Yuichiro-san was a big help getting here. He carried all our other bags without being asked!"

"Not…a…problem…" Yuichiro assured her between gasps for breath, though in actual fact, he was a lot more winded from carrying their bags than the climb up the steps. Just how much luggage did they need for an overnight stay?

At that moment, the sound of running footsteps caused the group to turn, just in time to see a bald-headed monk in a worn karate gi racing up the steps like a man possessed, though his pace was nice and even, timed to get the most out of every movement without exhausting himself.

If he noticed the people standing at the top of the steps he gave no outwards sign, simply crouched down the moment he neared them, the group letting out a cry of shock as he leaped into the air, somersaulting right over them, landing in a crouch before resuming his run, disappearing deeper into the temple grounds with nary a look back.

"Pretty cool isn't he?" Makoto marvelled, the tall brunette looking after the man as he disappeared, leaving her friends gaping after him in shock "He actually does fifty laps like those around the mountains everyday!"

'Now that's impressive…' Yuichiro muttered, the Oni-Rider turning his gaze in the direction the monk had vanished, his features grim behind his mane of brown hair. Had he imagined it, or had the monk's eyes glanced his way just before he'd run off?

'Can't be…' he contested, shaking his head to clear it of such ridiculous thoughts. He'd never laid eyes on the monk before, and besides, after spending over 4 years on a mountain, it was far more likely the man had glanced at Rei and her friends, glad to see that women Did still exist.

'Unless he's one of THOSE types…' the Oni-Rider muttered, grimacing slightly as he recalled some of the old stories that Rei's Grandfather had told him, about what went on in monasteries during the winter, when they were all trapped together with no-outside comfort.

Chad resolved not to take any showers with the monks while he was here if he could help it. Not that he didn't trust them, but the look on the elder Hino's face when he'd said those things just wouldn't leave him alone.

* * *

_With the monk... _

'Must be getting colder today…' Kakusui noted, the monk recovering from a brief sneezing fit as he stood beneath the waterfall, his hands clapped together in meditation as he allowed the freezing water to wash over him.

'Been getting a lot of visitors lately…' he noted, recalling the pretty brunette that had shown up the other day, and the group of girls that had arrived earlier today 'The Sailor Senshi at that…quite the privilege.'

However, Kakusui's interest lay not in the arrival of the guardians of love and justice, nor their clearly magical felines, but in the young man that had accompanied them to the temple.

'That aura…' the monk muttered, his brows furrowing in thought as he recalled the glimpse he'd gotten of the young man's features, what could be seen beneath his mane of messy brown hair that is 'No doubt about it…Looks like the abbot was correct, he must be the one mentioned in the letter…'

"Excuse me." A voice called out, Kakusui recognizing it as the one belonging to the pretty young woman that had come to the temple recently "please let me join you!"

Kakusui said nothing, simply continued to meditate, listening in as the girl waded alongside him, immersing herself in the water for a few seconds, only to burst out again after only a few seconds.

"C-COLD!" she exclaimed, her teeth chattering despite the brief dunking, "I can't do it…" she stammered, before turning to face the monk "How can I be like you, Kakusui-san?" she asked, continuing even though Kakusui didn't open his eyes "I'm in kind of a slump right now, I can't give you the details, but lately I've been feeling as if no matter what I do, it won't make any difference."

'It would appear the reports from Juuban ward have been accurate thus far…' Kakusui noted, his eyes opening as he stepped out from under the falls, taking in the girls startled features 'The Senshi of Thunder if I'm not mistaken…and in the midst of a mid-life crisis.'

"If…If I could achieve a mental state like yours…" the Senshi in human form stammered, looking flustered as she said it "I think I could get out of this slump, Kakusui-san!"

'Ah, so it's a confidence boost she's looking for…' the Monk noted, internally smiling, even as he kept his face stoic 'Looks like she needs a little cheering up.' He noted, deciding to help her out even as she demanded to know why he was keeping silent.

"I-It's so cold m-my m-mouth w-won't m-move…" he stammered, shivering for added effect, despite the fact he was long used to such temperatures, even going so far as to fake a sneeze "I think I may have caught a cold…" he noted, causing the girl to laugh "That smile suits you well." He noted, causing her to blush as he walked past her "There is no path that let's me live me life other than this one. That is why I walk this path." He quoted, stepping out of the water and onto the shore "That's my favourite quote." He explained, "However, despite this being the path I chose, whenever my training doesn't go the right way, I can't help wondering if this is the right path."

"Eh?" the Senshi stammered, looking at him in amazement "You mean even YOU worry about things like that, Kakusui-san?"

"I guess so." Kakusui chuckled, turning to face the girl, his hand behind his head as he laughed self-mockingly "As strange as it sounds, I don't think I'll ever lose to someone when it comes to second-guessing myself."

The pair laughed, neither of them noticing the familiar, at least to Makoto, white station-wagon parked atop the cliff, nor the bespectacled redhead glancing down at the Monk.

"Target Located." Eudial noted, smirking down at the Monk from the safety of her car, confident that she wouldn't be disturbed all the way out here.

* * *

And cliffhangers too...

Consider this a Caucasus-lite chapter people, with Yuuichirou as the focus.

Here's to the future!


	28. Chapter 28

First update for Christmas, and the second half of Yuuichirou's solo mission.

Enjoy.

* * *

White Thunder, Blue Water!

"W-Wh-What IS this?" Usagi exclaimed, the pigtailed senshi gaping at the meagre selection of food laid before her, which consisted of rice, miso soup, and pickled vegetables, all in meagre potions.

Yuichiro blinked, staring down at the meal in confusion, unable to see what the problem was. It was a staple diet of monks and priests, everyone at the temple ate the same thing after all, even the abbot.

The problem was, while it was considered a filling start to the day for the monks, with their emphasis on training and discipline, it barely counted as a snack, in Usagi's opinion, for a growing young woman. "I can't get any energy from this!" the pigtailed senshi exclaimed, slumping dismally to the side as she moaned pitiably, causing the others to sweatdrop at her antics.

"It's not so bad…" Yuichiro countered, the Oni Rider being used to such things thanks to his training under the Elder Hino at Hikawa Shrine "Anything to eat at ALL is better than nothing, and it's better to eat light in the mornings anyway."

"Yuichiro-san is right." Ami agreed, the bluenette smiling encouragingly at her pigtailed friend as they knelt behind the offered trays "Also, it's very good for your mind."

"Besides." Rei chuckled, her features amused "Didn't you say you wanted to lose some weight the other day? You won't put on a lot eating this."

"This is the perfect chance for you, Usagi-chan!" Minako agreed, her tone only slightly teasing as she eyed their pigtailed leader.

"I don't care if I get fat…" Usagi grumbled, the pigtailed senshi pouting slightly as she slumped before her meagre breakfast "One of the best reasons for travelling is an excuse to eat something yummy…"

Makoto had already left to continue her training, having gotten up at the crack of dawn to go through some katas in the yard behind the room they'd been allotted. She'd made enough noise to rouse her fellow senshi from their slumber, much to their displeasure, though it was heartening to see her taking her training, unlike some.

"That's it!" Usagi exclaimed, the others looking up in surprise as she struck a pose, a determined expression on her face "Let's go to the hotel for breakfast!"

"DON'T YOU THINK ABOUT ANYTHING OTHER THAN FOOD?" Rei demanded, recovering from the facefault that sent the others to the floor, her head swelling to an impressive side as she breathed fire at her pigtailed best friend, only to sigh in exasperation as the girl pouted "You're hopeless…fine, we'll go to the hotel."

"But what are we going to do about this meal?" Ami asked, looking down at her own meagre portion even as Usagi rejoiced "I feel bad since they prepared it for us…"

"Of course I'm going to eat it!" Usagi proclaimed, shovelling the rice into her mouth even as she spoke "It's like an appetizer for later!"

"Speaking of the hotel…" Minako noted, giggling at her fellow blonde's antics as she ruffled through her backpack, pulling out a black and white strapless one-piece bathing suit "Tadaa!"

'Man she's prepared…' Yuichiro muttered, the group sweatdropping at the blonde, as it was clear she'd had a similar idea to Usagi from the get go.

"Actually, me too." Rei admitted, Yuichiro's eyes bulging out from beneath his hair as she held up what was technically a two-piece swimsuit, were it not for the fact the top and bottom were connected by a strip of material at the front.

"REI-SAN!" the Oni-rider exclaimed, his imagination running wild at the sight, his mind filling with images of Rei dressed in the offending article of clothing, going through a variety of poses "BANZAI!" he screamed, the girls looking on in alarm as his head snapped back under the force of an impressive nose-bleed.

So impressive was the force of the gush, that Yuichiro found himself propelled backwards through the air, creating a morbid little rainbow as he crashed into the ground, lying in a twitching heap in the garden outside the room they'd been allotted.

"Wow…" Artemis wondered, the white Mau looking impressed despite the absurdity of the situation, Rei's face as red as her dress as she and the rest of the senshi eyed Yuichiro's twitching form from where they knelt "Good distance there…" the white Mau muttered, sweatdropping despite himself, even as Minako and Usagi rounded on Rei, their faces lined with amusement in the face of their friend's mortification.

Like sharks indeed.

* * *

_Later... _

"Oh man…" Yuichiro sighed, slumped over as he brushed at the yard of the temple, having borrowed a set of robes from a monk while his own clothes were being washed "What an idiot…acting like that in front of Rei-san and her friends…now they probably think I'm some kind of pervert…"

Sighing at his stupidity, the Oni Rider turned his attention to his surroundings, taking in the regal architecture of the temple, along with the majestic line of mountains that surrounded them.

"Sure is peaceful up here…" he noted, marvelling at the sheer natural beauty of the place, feeling his worries and embarrassment just slip away "I can see why Makoto-san would want to come here for training."

At that moment, the sound of a car engine reached his ears, the Oni Rider looking up, only to yelp as he ducked out of the path of a white Station-wagon that had driven up the steps of the temple, the driver tearing past him, heedless of the desecration she'd left in her wake. "Death Busters!" the Oni Rider exclaimed, his eyes wide beneath his hair as he recognized the Black Star emblem on the side of the vehicle "Lelouch-san and the elder were right!"

"Kumada-san!" a voice called out, the Rider turning in time to see a young boy, in the garb of an apprentice monk, racing towards him, his Oni Guitar in hand "Here!"

"What?" Yuichiro stammered, looking at the boy in confusion, only to look up to see the rest of the Monks standing around them "You…how?"

"Let's just say…" the Abbot chuckled, pulling out a tuning fork much like the one that Rei Grandfather had used to become Hinoki "We had a feeling you'd be joining us today."

"You're all…!" Yuichiro exclaimed, his eyes widening in realization, looking down at the boy in amazement "Then…you…"

"All in due time, Yuichiro-kun." The Abbot assured the Oni Rider, his eyes twinkling in amusement, even as he pointed towards the mountains "As it is, don't you have OTHER things to worry about?"

Yuichiro blinked, only for his features to harden, accepting the proffered weapon from the apprentice monk, bowing to the Abbot as he'd been taught, before racing off towards the forests. "So that's Hinoki's Apprentice is it?" the Abbot chuckled, his tone amused even as the rest of the monks parted to let the Oni Rider past "About damn time he chose another successor…"

"He appears to be a little wet behind the ears though…" an instructor at the temple noted, his tone professional, rather than derogatory "Are you certain we shouldn't help out?"

"Hinoki was rather explicit that we not interfere with his apprentice's training." The abbot countered, only to smile at the man "Besides, he won't be alone up there."

* * *

_With Makoto... _

Unaware of the danger headed their way, Makoto was deeply involved in her training, meditating alongside Kakusui, the two of them perched atop a pair of boulders, listening to the sound of the woods all around them,

'He looks so serious.' The Senshi of thunder marvelled, taking in the regal, composed features of her temporary sensei, before shaking herself and returning to her own meditations 'No! Focus! What's needed is concentration!'

A snore snapped her out of her thoughts, the startled brunette looking up just in time to see Kakusui's head rolling on his neck, a dazed expression of mild slumber on his formally regal features. "H-He's asleep?" she wondered, sweatdropping in disbelief, even as Kakusui stilled, rousing slightly, his arms raised above his head as he yawned.

"Sorry about that." He chuckled, rubbing the back of his head, a look of embarrassment on his features as he avoided looking at the girl.

"Aren't you in the middle of your training?" Makoto wondered, looking up at the monk in disbelief, wondering if he was having her on.

"Sometimes it's more important to just relax and let the pent-up energies out." Kakusui replied, smiling at the senshi with a sage-like expression on his face, only to chuckle and pat himself on the head "Though I suppose that's a pretty poor excuse for dozing off during meditation…" he noted, causing Makoto to smile.

Her amusement was short lived however, as the roar of a car engine tore through the relative silence of the woods. Turning to face the source, Makoto's eyes widened as she recognized the by now familiar white station-wagon that was racing towards them through the underbrush, the black star that adorned the sides all the more apparent as it skidded to a halt before them.

"Target acquired!" Eudial called out, the redhead pulling out her Heart Snatching Gun, taking aim at Kakusui, only to curse as Makoto shoved him out of the way "Damn! Get out of my way!"

"Make me!" Makoto yelled, cursing as she realized that she couldn't transform with Kakusui nearby, only to sweatdrop as the Monk, unsettled by her sudden shove, crashed headlong into the shrubbery, his legs vanishing from view "Oops…"

"Idiot!" Eudial swore, scowling at the meddlesome brunette "I can't extract his Heart Crystal if you crack his head open!"

"Look at the pretty stars…" Kakusui burbled, his dazed voice emerging from the bushes, a clear sign that he was still alive, if mildly concussed.

"Thank goodness…" Makoto sighed, glad that she hadn't injured her sensei and friend too badly, only to blink as a familiar figure appeared on the scene "Sailor moon!"

"What?" Eudial exclaimed, whipping round only to curse as she saw that the pigtailed pest was indeed standing on a nearby boulder "Oh for the-!"

"Even if your evil plans make the heroes of justice stumble, they will always get back up to challenge you!" Sailor Moon proclaimed "In the name of the Moon, I will punish you!"

"And she won't do it alone!" a voice called out, Eudial looking on in distaste as the rest of the Senshi, sans Jupiter, leapt out of the woodwork as well "Miss! Take Kakusui-san to a safe place!"

"R-Right!" Makoto exclaimed, dashing over and pulling a dazed Kakusui over her shoulder, unable to protest since she couldn't actually FIGHT until she'd gotten off somewhere to transform without being seen.

"Hey!" Eudial exclaimed, turning to face the brunette, only to curse as the Sailor Senshi moved to get in her way "Ugh, I don't have time for this…" she muttered, ripping off her lab coat to reveal her red outfit underneath "A Daimon's more than enough for you four!"

Even as she spoke, the back of her car opened, releasing a burst of pink smoke as the Daimon within the box was released, the Senshi tensing up as it stepped out of the vehicle to face them.

"DARUMA!" it cried out, striking a bizarre pose in mid-air. Like all the other Daimon, it was female, it's form covered by a red one-piece outfit that left it's legs bare, save for the kneepads and high heeled shoes it wore. Its skin was a pale green, evident from it's face, which was encased in a red helmet from which two pointed ears emerged. It's midsection was covered in multi-coloured rings, and a large paint brush was attached to it's back.

"Daruma! Deal with these pests!" Eudial ordered, glaring at the Senshi even as she moved to get back in her car "I've got to get after the target!"

"DARUMA!" the Daimon cried, gripping the giant paintbrush, pulling it over her shoulder before swinging it like the largest bo-staff in existence, the Senshi looking on in confusion, only to jump as it brought the tip round to point directly at them, a hail of razor-sharp bristles flying from it like needles fired from a machine gun.

"Look out!" the Senshi exclaimed, scattering in the face of the onslaught, only to yelp as Daruma launched the multicoloured sections from her stomach at them, knocking them out of the air, the wind knocked out of them from the blow.

"Good work, now finish them off!" Eudial cried, the redhead making a break for her car, only to cry out as a bolt of lightning crashed in front of her "Nani?"

"Howling White Thunder!" a voice cried out, the Death Buster looking up in shock to see a white figure standing atop her means of transportation "Kamen Rider Yuuki!"

"Another pest?" Eudial exclaimed, looking up at the Rider in annoyance, her nerves relaxing as she realized at least it wasn't Caucasus "Get off my car before you scuff the paint job!"

"Oh sorry…" Yuuki muttered, rubbing the back of his head apologetically, only to stumble, righting himself as he realized his error "Hey! Quit trying to confuse me!"

* * *

_Eudial's POV... _

'This guy's a Kamen Rider?' Eudial wondered, sweatdropping at how easy it was to unsettle the White Rider compared to his Golden partner 'Must be a rookie like the Professor hypothesized.'

"Yuuki-san!" Sailor Moon called out, the pig-tailed Senshi pushing herself up onto her knees as she looked at the Rider in relief "Don't let her get away! She's after Kakusui-san's Pure Heart Crystal!"

"Gotcha!" the White Rider exclaimed, leaping down off the car, landing between it and Eudial, holding his Guitar at the ready "She won't get past me!"

"Dammit! Daruma!" Eudial yelled, the red-clad Daimon leaping at the Rider, intent on protecting it's master as it had been programmed to do, forcing Yuuki on the defensive.

"DARUMA!" the Daimon yelled, unleashing another hail of bristles from the end of its brush, only for Yuuki to swat them aside with his guitar, rolling under the rest, coming up from his crouch to slam the butt of his guitar into the Daimon's chin, sending it staggering back.

"Nice!" Venus exclaimed, pumping her fist in jubilation as she watched the battle unfold with the rest of the Senshi as they picked themselves up "Mars' future husband's pretty good!"

"He's NOT my husband!" Mars snapped, her face redder than her Fuku as she glared at the Senshi of love. Though she had to admit, the White Rider had some moves going for him.

"Eudial's making a run for it!" Mercury called out, the Senshi of Ice looking on in alarm as the Death Buster made for her car, only for another bolt of lightning to cut off her advance.

"Hold it right there!" a familiar voice called out, the Senshi looking up in time to see Jupiter leap from concealment, her eyes hard with anger "You're not getting away THIS time!"

"They're coming out of the damn woodwork!" Eudial swore, grimacing as she realized that her Daimon was currently occupied with the Kamen Rider, leaving her to face the Senshi on her own "Daruma!"

"No you don't!" Yuuki swore, keeping the Daimon's attention on himself as he lashed out with his guitar, only for the remaining section in Daruma's torso to nail him in the gut, sending him flying backwards through the air "OOF!"

"Yuuki-san!" Jupiter called out, looking at the Rider in alarm, only to curse as Daruma, not missing a beat, launched a hail of bristles at her, forcing her away from Eudial.

"Dammit! Watch it with those will ya?" the redhead exclaimed, eyeing the Daimon in annoyance even as she clambered into her car and fired up the engine "You almost hit me with those! Finish off those brats while I get out of here!"

"Da!" Daruma proclaimed, twirling her brush over her head, turning to face the Senshi head on, even as Eudial tore out of there, intent on finding Kakusui and extracting his crystal, only to scream as a wall of sound slammed into her car, sending it skidding into a tree.

"What?" the redhead stammered, shaking her head to clear it of the ringing in her ears, even as the fighting behind her broke down "What the heck was that?"

"Kitoujutsu…" a voice called out, the redhead looking up, along with the Senshi, Yuuki and Daruma, as a tall figure stepped out of the woods "Reppujin."

"W-what the…" Eudial exclaimed, her features paling as she recognized the figure walking towards her "Another…Kamen Rider?"

"Kamen Rider…?" the figure repeated, sounding intrigued by the title as he continued to advance on the trapped redhead "Hmm…an apt name, given my appearance…I rather like it."

Stepping into view, the Senshi's eyes widened at the sight of another Rider, similar to Yuuki in appearance, save that his armour was Blue with Black gloves and boots, and he wore what appeared to be a Silver coat made of pipes.

"Yes…I like the sound of it…" the Rider repeated, nodding his head as he struck a pose, one hand raised, holding some sort of trumpet-like weapon "Call me the Calming Blue Water: Kamen Rider Suiki!"

* * *

_Off to the side... _

"ANOTHER Rider?" Uranus muttered, the shorthaired Outer Senshi frowning in confused consternation as she eyed the new arrival with a hint of distaste "Seriously, where the heck are they coming from?"

"And what are the odds of running into two of them all the way out here?" Neptune agreed, looking at the newcomer with interest as they hid amongst the leaves. Admittedly, she'd gotten used to the Riders popping up wherever they went; initially, they assumed that they were staking out the potential victims like she and Uranus were. However, not even the Outers had suspected that Kakusui would come under attack, only Neptune's sensing something on the wind, and Eudial's less than exemplary driving, alerting them that something was amiss.

"Man those Riders are really on the ball." Uranus muttered, impressed despite herself as she looked between Yuuki and the newly arrived Suiki, arms crossed beneath her breasts "I mean, we didn't even suspect there'd be an attack all the way out here…thought for sure that Odango's boyfriend would be the target."

"Mamoru-san DOES have the potential…" Neptune admitted, nodding her head in agreement. The two of them had followed the college student out here under the suspicion he might be the next target, as it seemed everyone associated with their blonde friend had been targeted thus far "However, I think the Riders are actually tracking the Death Busters THEMSELVES, rather than the victims."

"You serious?" Uranus wondered, looking at her partner in amazement, only to turn her attention back to the stand-off with a huff "Damn, gotta remember to ask Gold Bug how they do that…would make hunting for them a damn side easier."

* * *

_Eudial's POV... _

"DAMN!" Eudial swore, not liking the look of this situation one bit, the redhead struggling to start her stalled vehicle, even as Suiki advanced on her with menacing slowness, his strange firearm held aloft "DARUMA!"

"DARU!" the Daimon cried, whipping round and firing her bristles at the new Rider, forcing Suiki to leap out of the way, buying Eudial the chance she needed to get her car started.

"I'm out of here!" she exclaimed, sticking it into Drive and tearing out of the woods, unwilling to stick around any longer, Pure Heart Crystal be damned. After all, with the way her luck was turning out today, it was only a matter of time before Caucasus came riding in on Godzilla or whatever over-the-top ride he'd managed to get his hands on.

"She's getting away!" Jupiter exclaimed, only to curse as Daruma whipped round, lashing out with the elongated bristles of her brush, the Senshi of Jupiter cursing as she was enveloped in them "Damn!"

"DARU-MA!" the Daimon exclaimed, her entire upper body morphing into the shape of a real Daruma statue, even as she launched lightning from her eyes at the Senshi.

"Not so fast!" Yuuki called out, coming down from on high, slicing through the bristles and tackling Jupiter to the ground before the attack could hit, much to Daruma's confusion "Are you alright, Jupiter-san!"

"I'm fine!" Jupiter assured the Rider, a little more tensely than she'd intended, even as she pushed herself back to her feet "I can beat this thing on my own!"

"Humans are not meant to be alone." Suiki countered, the Senshi of thunder looking up in surprise as the new Rider walked up to them, his weapon in hand "Look around you." He noted, gesturing to the other Senshi, who were getting to their feet "Your friends came to aid you, even though you insisted on fighting yourself." His featureless gaze turned towards the thunder Senshi "Is winning so important you would throw those ties away?"

Jupiter blinked, looking thrown by the statement, only to look up as Daruma, who didn't appreciate the damage to her weapon one bit, launched another burst of electricity their way.

"A stubborn one…" Suiki noted, sidestepping the attack with ease, even as he reached down to his belt "Yuuki, was it?" he called out, getting the White Rider's attention "Let's show the Senshi the power of teamwork."

"O-OSSU!" Yuuki agreed, gripping his guitar, running towards Daruma, slicing through the bristles it sent to ensnare him, leaping over the startled monsters head, jabbing the butt of his guitar into her back.

"Ongekizan-!" he called out, changing his Guitar to Ongeki mode, causing Daruma to cry out in agony as the extra spikes dug into her flesh "Raiden Meishin!"

"Ongekisha!" Suki called out, the Senshi looking on in wonder as he detached a section of his belt, clipping it into place on his weapon, creating a trumpet like instrument "Reppu Issen!"

Taking a deep breath, Suiki blew into his trumpet, creating a wall of sound that slammed into Daruma from the front, even as Yuuki, shielded from the blast by the Daimon's body, strummed at his guitar, sending his own attack deep into it's body, the Daimon howling out in agony as it was destroyed from the inside and out.

With one last strum and burst, the Daimon exploded, the Senshi covering their eyes as dust filled the air, only to blink as it cleared, revealing a broken Daruma and Daimon Seed where their opponent had been.

Of the Riders, there was no sign.

* * *

_Off to the side... _

"You're pretty good, for a rookie…" Suiki noted, the Blue Oni Rider looking on from behind a tree as he watched the Senshi try to figure out where they'd gone "For someone who only became an Oni a few months ago, your grasp of Ongeki is humbling."

"I'm just glad you were here," Yuichiro admitted, the younger Oni having changed back once the Daimon died, leaving him naked for all to see "I wasn't expecting to meet another Oni out here."

"I was expecting YOU however." Suiki countered, his features blurring, revealing the smiling face of Kakusui "Your master wrote ahead to the Abbot to let us know you were coming, it seems we're to help further your training for the duration of your stay." He smiled weakly "Starting with how to keep from destroying your clothes."

Yuichiro blushed, unable to say anything as he followed the Monk back to the temple.

* * *

End of Yuuichirou's solo adventures.

Next chapter will be a christmas Special, courtesy of Sir Godot, formerlly known as Faroush!


	29. Christmas Special: DC Chronicles Part 1

The Following Special was originally intended to be an Omake or one shot story, courtesy of Sir Godot, formerly known as Faroush, author of the 'Dark Guild Konoha' fic.

However, upon closer inspection, we decided this would better serve as a 'Special' chapter, kind of like a 'Hyper Battle Movie', which is popular amongst the Heisei Riders (OOO & W Mvie core war Feat. Skull for example).

As such, sit back and enjoy this Tokusatsu masterpiece, courtesy of two Kamen Rider Afficiandos.

* * *

**Kamen Rider x Kamen Rider: DC Chronicles.**

Hasty steps echoed through the empty streets, the cause, a large humanoid insect, it's clawed feet kicking up sparks and gravel as it ran.

The creature was a member of an alien race known only as Worms, a species whose evolutionary curve had led them to developing two highly advanced survival mechanisms.

The first was to imitate a member of a planet's indiginous lifeforms, preferably the dominant one, right down to their memories and mannerisms. Normally this wouldn't be a problem, were it not for the fact they instinctively killed the 'original', taking their lives and living in plain sight.

The second, and most advantageous ability, was the ability to accellerate their molecules to the point they could move at speeds that couldnt be tracked by the naked eye, literally moving at the speed of light.

For countless generations, these two abilities had made the Worms the scourge of the universe, moving from planet to planet, slowly replacing the indiginous lifeforms, reducing the planet to a more suitable environment for their own kind, before moving on to the next when things got too crowded.

Then they came to earth, and everything had gone to hell in a proverbial handbasket.

It had been all accoeding to plan at first, they had carried out their usual tactics, infiltration, replacement, extermination, clean, rinse repeat, and for a while things had been good. Even Humanity's greatest weapons, the Kamen Riders, designed with a 'Clock Up' system to combat them in their enhanced state, hadn't been an issue, for they had agents on the inside, pulling strings, ensuring that the masked warriors would dance to their tune.

Then came the arrival of the Destroyer, and everything had fallen apart in a lightspeed minute, their leader had been struck down, and the Rider's had a new weapon at their disposal to make hunting down Worms all the easier: The Clock-Down System, a device that forcibly cancelled out the 'Clock Up' effect, making it so the Worms couldn't use their only offensive advantage.

It had been a massacre, the Riders literally swooping in, rounding up any and all Worms, regardless of how well they hid, and finishing them off when the poor bastards has tried to flee. As it was, THIS worm had been lucky enough to escape with his life, and that was only because he'd sacrificed several of it's comrades to do so.

'I can't die...' he swore, his breath coming in ragged gasps, too scared to even think of Clocking Up in case it drew the attention of the Riders 'I will not die! Not here! Not like this!'.

He paused after a moment, his superior hearing detecting the sound of humans nearby, going about their ordinary, mundane lives, ignorant of the danger that lurked only a few feet away. sensing no prying eyes, it activated it's camoflage ability, drawing on the recorded information within, it's green body blurring and flickering for a few seconds, before it began to shrink, it's form shifting into that of a tall, dark haired young man with regal purple eyes and almost feminine features.

Smirking to itself, the Worm couldn't help but preen in a nearby window, admiring the admittedly handsome, for a mammal, features of the man that had broght ruin upon his race. He had indeed been lucky to copy the Destroyer's form before being discovered, not for it's looks, but for the brilliant mind the form had bequeathed him. True, the memories were a little blurry, and caused actual PAIN if he tried to forcibly access them, but he could live with that for now. After all, what was a little pain when one could make the perfect escape.

Even without the Destroyer's Memories, it could see the writing on the wall: The Worms were finished, those who weren't killed during the hunts would have to live out their lives in hiding, always living in fear that the Riders would track them down. However, if the memories it had copied were correct, and it had no reason to doubt it's race's own genetic ability, then there was an easy way for it to escape such a fate...all it would take was a little wish...

And so the Worm made it's way through the moderately filled streets, smiling amiably and reacting as the Destroyer would have, in order to avoid rousing suspicion, but quickly nontheless, one eye always scanning the crowd for the slightest hint of an armoured form, or the stark black of a ZECT Trooper uniform.

Soon enough, it found what it was looking for, right where it's copied memories had indicated it would be. Sure enough, as it lurked in the shadows of a nearby aley, it watched the people pass in front of it's target, not even glancing in it's direction, as if there was nothing there worth giving a moment's notice. However, for the worm, and to those who needed it's services, the building before him was the first, and sometimes last point of call they would ever make.

Waiting for the coast to clear, the Worm stepped forwards, keeping a wary eye out for any passing pedestrians, before stepping through the two, seemingly worn down gateposts, stepping out of the dusty backstreets and into a well-tended garden that belonged to a traditional Japanese house, the kind that hadn't for some time since the Worm's first invasion, and had been rare even before then.

Sure enough, just as the copied memories indicated, there was the proprieter of this miraculous establishment, sitting, as ever, on the wooden patio, as if he'd been expecting company, though it could just as easily have been the lit japanese pipe in his hands that had driven him to do so, his features certainly possessed that emotionless tint that came from substance abuse.

"Welcome to my store..." the proprieter called out, blowing a smoke ring into the air, his eyes turning languidly to regard the intruder with an all-knowing stare that betrayed no emotion whatsoever, yet at the same time seemed to peer right through him "You're looking rather haggard, Worm-san."

The Worm jolted, his borrowed features twisting into a mask of surprise at how easily he'd been discovered. Truth be told, not even the Destroyer's memories could tell him anything concrete about the Proprieter of this miraculous establishment, as the bespectacled man was as frugal with his secrets as he was in his services, but he had at least held confidence in his ability to completely imitate the Destroyer in every way, yet the proprieter had seen through him immediately.

"No need to act so surprised." the Proprieter spoke up during the ensuing silence "Your race's camoflage ability is impressive, one of the best I've ever encoutnered, but it doesn't matter what guise you wear, the wards around the store can instantly tell when someone isn't exactly what they seem." he smiled cryptically at the Worm "Besides, Lelouch-san would never leave the others behind."

The worm growled, his borrowed features twisted into an animalistc snarl, wondering if it should transform and threaten the man into giving it what it wanted, only for the Destroyer's memories to caution against such a move. While he'd not seen the Proprieter use any offensive abilites, the defences of the store itself were DEEPLY ingrained into his memory, and those were simply the passive wards designed to drive off unwanted visitors. It didn't take a genius for him to deduce that anything that DIRECTLY threatened the occupants of the store would'nt get off so lightly.

"Come now, there's no need to scowl like that." the Proprieter chided, a hint of amusement in his tone, though his eyes remained as emotionless as ever "After all, as I'm sure you know from Lelouch's memories, only those who have a wish can enter this shop...and anyone who enters is to be considered a customer."

"Ah, yes..." the Worm recalled, his borrowed features twisting into a cruel smile that was at the same time alien and yet oddly fitting, as if the Destroyer had borne such an expression at some point in the past "The Sub-clause: The price of being able to grant any wish, is that you MUST grant any wish..." he spread his arm wide "And after all, it's not as if sending me to another world would be too far outside your abilities."

"You are correct," the proprieter agreed, his expression unreadable as ever "then again, I can hardly see how you could be wrong, considering whose memories you've stolen." he blew another smoke ring into the air, the worm frowning as he swore it took the form of a butterfly for a brief second "However, as I'm sure you 'remember', I do not work for free, there will be a price to pay."

"Name it, I don't care what it is." the worm insisted, a manic grin spreading across his borrowed lips at how perfectly everything was falling into place. Nontheless, it would still feel a LOT happier if the blasted, four eyed shopkeep would get a move on, the longer it spent in this world, the greater the chance that the Destroyer would find him, and considering the last time they crossed paths, he didn't feel like getting reacquainted anytime soon.

"You're certain you don't want to hear my price first?" the Proprieter asked, sighing softly as the Worm growled at him, shaking his head at the doppleganger's impatience "Very well, as you wish: In exchange for allowing you to travel to another world, the price shall be your ability to transform." he held the Worm's startled gaze with his own "You will be able to transform one more time, but never again after that, so I advise you to pick your next form wisely. After all it goes without saying that should you run into Lelouch-kun during your tenure, your life won't be worth the time it takes to slot a card."

"He'll have to find me first." the Worm countered with a sneer, though internally, the idea of running into the Destroyer again sent shivers down his spine "And considering the multitude of parallel and alternate worlds out there, It's far more likely that I'll have died of old age before he sets foot on mine."

"As you will." the Proprieter offered, shrugging dismissively, as if it really didn't matter to HIM if the worm wanted to throw it's life away, which it DIDN'T "All you need to do is step back through the gateposts and you'll be in another world, far different from this one."

"Thanks." the Worm offered, sneering one last time with his borrowed features as he turned on his heel, moving towards the gateposts with a decidedly eager spring in his step.

Sure, the idea of spending the rest of his life bound to one, singular form was daunting, but it mattered little in the long run, as he would retain the vast intellect he gained from the Destroyer's form, as well as his ability to resume his 'worm' form, which was independant of their camoflage ability. With the Destroyers mind, a new face, and his own natural powers, he would soon show the humans, or whatever the hell occupied this new world, precisely why the Worms were the ultimate life forms.

* * *

_As the Worm vanishes..._

Watanuki watched the Lelouch worm as it made for the gateposts, not quite running, but certainly not as calmly as it liked to belive it appeared, his expression unreadable as it passed through the portal and into the next world, wherever that was. The moment it was gone, however, a wry smile spread across the storekeeper's lips, followed by the timely arrival of Mokona Modoki, the little black rabbit creature hopping up to perch on his shoulder.

"Geez, what a rude fellow!" the black manju bun muttered, it's features lined with annoyance as he shook it's head, or what counted for it's head, considering it didn't really have a neck or torso "I hope it gets its butt kicked!"

"He WAS rather rude, wasn't he?" Watanuki chuckled, pushing up his spectacles with one hand "Makes me wonder how much of it was natural and how much it retained from Lelouch-san's personality." he chuckled to himself "Still, I think you may just get your wish Mokona...after all, Lelouch-kun does so detest leaving loose ends lying around, and having a Worm running around with his face and memories must have come as a terrible blow to his pride."

"I'll drink to that!" Mokona cheered, the animated manju bun pulling a giant sake bottle, easily ten times larger than itself, out of thin air, popping the cork before chugging the contents down like nobody's business.

"Hey now..." Watanuki chided, eyeing the black rabbit thing with a petulant expression "Leave me a little, will you?"

* * *

_While Watanuki and Mokona get plastered..._

The Worm stepped through the gateposts, and despite the memories at his disposal, he couldn't help but be amazed to find himself not in the same dusty alley as before. To be fair, it was STILL a dusty alley, but the air itself tasted different from the world he'd just vacated, cleaner, fresher, with a decided lack of sand in the air, lacking the sense of imminent danger that was custmary in HIS world.

In the worm's original world, the surviving human populace had always hurried about their business in order to avoid being caught up in Worm attacks, not that it had helped them much, even AFTER the coming of the Destroyer and the Advent of the Clock Down system, they had carried themselves with an air of caution.

Here, it could tell that the people were calm, cheerful, confident in their superiority as the top of the food chain. It made him want to smile actually, they were worse than sheep, unawares that a wold was stalking them, disguised in the wool of one of their own.

'And speaking of disguises...' it muttered, scowl returning as it eyed the crowd before it warily, trying to pick out a suitable target. As much as it loathed the idea of sacrificing the Destroyer's memories, it didn't want to take the chance of running into him again, and there was no garuntee that Watanuki wouldn't outright tell him where he'd went.

So he needed a new disguise, one with connections, preferably, as he didn't like the idea of spending the rest of eternity as some bum off the street. Normally this wouldn't be an issue, but then again, normally he would'nt have offered up his ability to travel to another world.

"Lelouch-san? Is that you?" a voice called out, the Worm whipping round, lavender eyes widening in alarm at having been recognized so soon, cursing itself for lingering in the alley for so long and Watanuki for sending his pursuers after him, only to blink as he came face to face with a tall young man with black hair, dressed in a green jacket over a black shirt and grey slacks, a slightly surprised look on his face.

"It really is you, Lelouch-san." the man noted, smiling at the worm, completely unaware that he was literally face to face with a monster "What are you doing here? Out shopping, I don't see your bike anywhere."

"O-oh...yeah..." The Worm offered, smiling at the man, though on the inside it was struggling to keep from cackling at the current situation. From this brief encounter, he had already deduced that while the man before him was familliar with 'Lelouch', his inability to recognize him implied it couldn't be the SAME Lelouch that he had copied, meaning the Destroyer hadn't come to this world yet. Not only that, but it could FEEL the power coming off the man, buried deep, true, but there nontheless, as if the man contained a small sun within his tall, well-kept frame.

'It looms like I've found the perfect host already...' the worm noted, suppressing the urge to cackle as the mind it had inherrited from the Destroyer whirled into action, already putting together a devious plan, the likes of which had brought HIS world to it's knees. "Actually, I had a bit of engine trouble earlier." he lied, nodding his head towards the alley he'd just walked out of moments before "Think you can help me out a bit? It'd go faster with some help."

"Sure, what are friends for, right?" the tall man agreed, smiling kindly, missing the dark look that crossed the Worm's stolen features as he stepped into the alley, the worm following sit, it's eyes glowing a murderous purple in the gloom.

A few second later, and the young man stepped out of the alley once more, a dark, twisted smirk adorning his handsome features as he pulled on a pair of shades and walked out into the unassuming crowd.

* * *

_Meanwhile…_

At a cafe in another part of Juuban, Lelouch Lamperouge closed his laptop with a tired sigh.

It had been a week since Yuuichirou had left for his training in the mountains, and so far the Death Buster's seemed to by lying low. Whether it be to regroup after their last defeat, or to devise some new strategy against him, he really couldn't tell, but for the moment he was glad for the break, as it allowed him to focus on his OTHER pressing agenda: Namely how to go about integrating the technology of HIS world into this one.

Despite what some people might think, trying to help humanity's technology evolve from the shadows was not an easy task, even for someone like him. It required having the right connections, money, both in large quantities, which he sadly lacked, one of the MANY disadvantages of living off the grid.

It certainly didn't help that a he had to deal with a certain gold-coloured bug's constant banter.

"Done already?" C3 asked, the Golden Caucasus Zecter buzzing close to his ear to avoid being seen by a passing pedestrian "Good, you've done nothing but go over the same texts for two days now, we really need to work on your stamina, for more than one reason I'd say."

"Quiet you." Lelouch warned, glaring at the Zecter in annoyance "Unlike you, I have other things than fighting Daimon to worry about." he gestured to his laptop "Acquiring the funding and connections neccessary to carry out my OTHER projects, and I doubt I'll strike it rich even if I used my Geass on every Crime Familly in Tokyo..." he paused for thought "Well...maybe if they have ties to Tokyo University..."

"Why don't you just go to university yourself?" C3 suggested, the golden bug landing on the former Emperor's head just to annoy him a little more "After all, it's not like playing the prodigy would be particularly hard for you, right?"

"Because I'd rather avoid the spotlight if at all possible." Lelouch admitted, deciding that trying to get C3 of his head would only result in more headache (both due to internal and external reasons), the former Emperor simply allowed the Zecter to remain there "For one thing, the having the paparazzi trailing me around would make fighting the Death Busters a LITTLE hard, don't you think?"

"There is THAT..." C3 agreed, the two sitting in silence for a moment, before the Zecter spoke up again, her tone as coy and teasing as her namesake's "So? What are will you do now? Maybe a little tête-à-tête with one of the Sailor Senshi?"

"Hardly." Lelouch snorted, rising to his feet with a groan from sitting on the bench for so long "I was thinking of going to another underground gambling club, one I haven't been to before. It should be both relaxing and useful. Who says you can't combine work and pleasure?"

"I can think of one occupation that certainly fits the bill." C3 replied coyly, her tone making it all to clear precisely WHICH profession she was implying, Lelouch's features heating up in mortification as he lashed out at the bug, sending her buzzing off into the air, her laughter trailing down at him like God's laughter as he turned on his heel and stormed off to liberate some poor fools of their most likely ill-gained cash.

Needless to say, several illegal gambling halls were forced to close by the end of the day.

* * *

_Elsewhere..._

While Lelouch was setting out to relieve his stress by adding to those of the Tokyo underworld society, in a by now familliar alley, three new figures had just stepped through the gateposts that led to the Ichihara Shoten, their voices rasied in an apparent arguement.

One of these figures was a young man with blue eyes and brown hair, dressed in a white sckool shirt over a black vest with casual slacks and trainers. The Second was a freckled girl with her brown hair done up in pigtails at the back, dressed in a teal school uniform over a white blouse with a red bow tie.

However, it was the LAST figure that our focus was drawn to, not because he was dressed in a rather spiffy looking business suit despite their location and the weather, but because his features were a dead ringer for a certain former Emperor of Britannia.

"Good Grief..." Lelouch muttered, his aristocratic features marred with a scowl as he glared around the alley "I thought we'd seen the last of those damned worms when we left Kabuto's world...now that damned four eyes springs THIS shit on me."

"Calm down Lelouch" Shinji urged, the younger teen eyeing the elder warily, as if wondering if it would be safer to step back inside the Gateposts for the remainder of the trip, as the last time Lelouch had crossed paths with his Worm Double hadn't been pretty. "It's just one Worm, it shouldn't be that hard to take care of it."

"Ikari-kun's right, Lamperouge-san!" the girl, Hikari Horaki insisted, her tone soothing, though she still had her thumb at the ready should the elder teen need a little persuasion "Try to look at it as a little vacation: For the first time we are not in a Rider World. I bet we will see some interesting things."

"Vacation?" Lelouch scoffed, shaking his head dismissively at the freckled girl's optimistic view of their situation "Yeah right, more like clean-up duty, all because that bespectacled miser couldn't tell the difference between ME and a bloody Worm."

Had Lelouch been paying attention, he might have noticed the warning gestures Shinji was sending his way, as it were however, he was so caught up in his little rant that he was completely caught off guard when Hikari's hair trigger snapped, the freckled Girl stepping swiftly forward and jabbing her extended thumb into the side of his neck with a cry of "LAUGHING PRESSURE POINT!"

"Pffffffft-HAHAHAHAHAHA-!"

"You shouldn't badmouth Watanuki-san like that!" the freckled girl chastised, standing over Lelouch like some disapproving diety as the elder teen rolled on the ground, laughing in uncontrollable agony "You know he has to grant the wish of anyone who comes to him! If anything it's YOUR fault for letting the Worm slip away in the first place!"

Shinji simply sighed, the younger teen standing at a safe distance behind Hikari as the girl delivered her lecture, having learned from experience that saying things like that around their travelling companion was the stupidist thing you could do, a lesson, sadly, that Lelouch seemed to be unable to learn.

It took a few seconds for Lelouch to recover his wits, the elder teen glaring at Hikari as he got to his feet, only to be ignored by the freckled girl, as always. "All matters of guilt aside, we should start looking for the Worm before it can cover any more ground." he reasoned, eyeing the pair carefully "Normally I'd suggest keeping an eye out for anyone that looks like me, but considering they can imitate memories and intelligence as well, it's probably already changed forms and is lying low, which mean's Shinji's ability to sense worms is our best bet."

Shinji nodded grimly, the younger teen's features set in a determined scowl. He'd seen what the worms had done to Kabuto's world, how they'd driven the human population almost to the point of extinction, and wasn't about to sit back and let that happen here, where there were no other Riders to deal with the threat "So where should we start searching?"

"Well, even if he changes forms, since I was the first person he mimicked, my personality will be deeply ingrained into his psyche." Lelouch deduced, smirking proudly, earning a sigh of exasperation from his travelling companions "And if I had been given a new lease of life, I know EXACTLY the first thing I'd want to do..."

"And that would be?" Shinji asked, only to shiver slightly as the elder teen smiled at him. It wasn't a menacing smile, or even one of his sarcastic ones, but nontheless, the younger teen couldn't help but feel something very bad was about to happen."

"I'm glad you asked, Shinji." Lelouch replied, his tone coy and regal as ever "Tell me, have either of you ever played chess?"

* * *

_Later..._

"This is a very bad idea." Shinji whispered to himself, the younger teen eyeing the underground gambling club around him warily, shivering slightly at the sight of so many Yakuza gathered in one spot. True, he'd faced more terrifyig things in his life, Misato's cooking for one, but he was still a teenager, and any teenager with their head screwed on right knew better than to mess with the numerous Yakuza clans that made Tokyo their home.

To make matters worse, he was currently playing in a shogi match against a rather intimidating older man that even he could tell was either a highly ranked memer of the Yakuza or the Oyabun himself, the armed men in suits with sunglasses standing around their table certainly impied he wasn't somone to fuck around with.

"Relax, Shinji." Lelouch's disembodied voice whispered from his earing, the older teen having chosen to infiltrate the establishment as a waiter to avoid drawing attention to himself, as the Worm would most likely be wary of anyone with his face at the moment "Just do as I say and you will be fine."

The plan, as detailed by Lelouch, was simplicity itself. Lelouch had used his strange ability to influence people to gain access to one of the largest 'offical' gambling casinoes in the city. There, he'd set things up so that Shinji, who was wearing a suit and shades that reminded him FAR too much of his father, would challenge several high-stakes members to games of chess, shogi and go, all the while being guided by Lelouch, who was roaming the lower-stakes area as a waiter to avoid attracting attention, the two communicating via an ingenious communications device that took the form of a pair of earrings.

"Where did you even get these from?" Shinji whispered behind his bridged hands, wincing slightly at the throb from his recently pierced ear. hoping to whatever god that was available that the guards didn't notice, though it seemed his luck was holding up at the minute, as not even the boss, who was sitting right across from him, gave any sign that he suspected anything.

"Watanuki gave it to me as an apology for this entire mess." Lelouch admitted, his tone dismissive "Said a snake gave it to him or something, I wasn't really paying attention. Now stop asking questions and focus on the game. Just whisper your opponent's moves and I'll tell you what to do."

Shinji sighed, knowing better to question the older teen's orders, simply doing as he was told, the game between him and the Oyabun lasting well into an hour, Shinji unable to help but marvel at the skillful moves Lelouch was using, making a mental note to ask the older teen to teach him the game when they got back to Watanuki's shop, even as he moved his Knight forward for a surprise check of his opponent's king.

The Guards stiffened, and for a moment Shinji feared he'd have to fight his way out of the establishment, but to his surprise the Oyabun, a small, bald little man with a tiger-striped haori, held up a hand, an approving smile on his face as he congratulated the teen on a game well played, handing him a business card for the 'Fujimura-Gumi', his clan no doubt, before walking off, his guards following in his wake.

"That was quite a game." a voice noted, and it took all of Shinji's willpower to not jump out of his seat, the younger teen unable to believe they could possibly have been so lucky as he turned to face the source, only to find himself face to face with the familliar, regal features of Lelouch Lamperouge, set in their trademark confident smirk, his lavender eyes glinting in approval "Mind playing me next? I have a Chess board set up over here."

"Y-yeah, sure." Shinji stammered, shaking himself out of his shock, the younger teen reaching up and rubbing his ear in a supposedly nervous gesture, though was actually a pre-set signal to alert Lelouch and the others tha he'd found their target...or at least someone that COULD be the target.

* * *

_With Lelouch..._

Lelouch perked up as his earing picked up the signal from Shinji, the elder teen not halting in his duties as a waiter in order to avoid raising suspicon, though he made a point to slowly make his way towards the high-stakes area where the the target had been located, a frown adorning his features.

'That was easier than expected...' he muttered, weaving his way through the crowds towards the high-stakes area 'Almost too easy...I know I was counting on the Worm retaining my personality and mannerisms, but for it to be this easy...'

In Lelouch's experience, nothing was EVEr as easy as it first appeared. It could very well be that the Worm had anticipated their coming and had laid a trap of it's own. It could very well be the entire establishment was under it's control, and that any second now they could be peppered with lead.

'Oh the joys of having a competent opponent.' he sighed, a wry smirk adorning his features as he looked around for Hikari, only to sigh as he found her sitting before the slot reels, feeding a steady stream of coins into the machine with a growing look of iritation. "Come on." he muttered, dropping a hand on her shoulder, snapping her out of her daze "Shinji's spotted the Worm, let's go."

"Just one more time!" the Hikari begged, her eyes glinting with determination, only to wilt in the face of Lelouch's quirked brow, the freckled girl allowing the elder teen to lead her away from the machine, which was soon taken over by some other poor sucker, who seemed to be having no better luck than her.

As stealthily as possible the two made their way towards the High-stakes are, Lelouch all the while giving Shinji instructions for his chess match, his expression growing decidedly more devious as the match proceeded, his certainty that they were facing off against his Double all but certain, as every move he made was countered by one just as brilliant, just as daring, their playing styles so identical it left no doubt in his mind that Shinji had happened across their target.

Sure enough, after some careful positioning and footwork, the two found themselves with a clear view of the table where the game was taking place, Lelouch's eyes narrowing as they landed on his double, who unlike him was dressed in casual clothes, a red denim jacket over a black sleevless shirt and jeans.

He couldn't help but envy the worm, as it had been HELL to walk around in the hot Tokyo sun wearing nothing but black, even if he DID look damn good in it.

However, just as he was about to make his move, the sound of a cellphone alarm cut through the air, Lelouch looking on warily as his doppleganger stiffened, reaching into his coat pocket and pulled out a cellphone, flipping it open to glare at the screen.

"Daimon." he muttered, his voice laced with such irritation at being interrupted that Lelouch couldn't help but relate, though the sentiment was soon lost, for at that moment the wall at the far side of the Casinoe exploded inwards, showering the room with dust and flying debris.

* * *

_After the Explosion..._

'Dammit...' Lelouch cursed as he staggered out of the crumbling building, using the dust and confusion to avoid being spotted by any of the Casino's staff, who had a bad habit of shooting first and not bothering to ask questions later 'I should've been paying attention.'

The Fromer Emperor had every reason to be upset, as he'd been so caught up in the surprisingly challenging chess match that he must have missed an alert, allowing Eudial, or some other Death Buster, to slip right under his guard and unleash a Daimon on the Casno.

'Why would they target a casino though?' he wondered, frowning in confusion as he staggered into a nearby alley 'Gamblers are hardly likely to possess pure hearts...'

Shaking his head, he pulled out his cellphone, hoping to pinpoint the Daimon before it could attack it's target, whoever the hell it was, only to frown as the screen flickered, almost as if the damned thing seemed unsure whether or not there actually was a Daimon. "Stupid thing," he muttered, giving it a shake "is it broken or something?"

"Hardly." C3 countered, the Zecter sounding annoyed as it buzzed down to hober next to Lelouch's head "My scanner's are picking up some strange energy readings in the immediate area..." it elaborated tersely, as if it had a headacne "I don't know what the hell it is, but it's messing with my ability to detect Daimon energy signatures."

"You think the Death Busters are beind this?" Lelouch asked, his tone understandably tense, as the ability to track Daimons was one of the sole advantages they had over the enemy. Things had gotten a lot harder after Eudial had replaced Kaolinite on the frontlines, the younger redhead preferring to use pre-packaged Daimon instead of sending out Seeds like her predecessor, making it harder to track their movements.

Harder, but not impossible, as the redhead had a nasty habit of driving like she was in a demolition derby regardless of where she went, which meant all Lelouch had to do was keep an eye out for police reports involving a white station wagon with a black star on the doors to be able to predict where she'd strike next. However, if the Death Busters were finally stepping up their game to the point they'd devised a way to jam his tracking ability, then that meant they were in BIG trouble.

Before C3 could formulate a reply however, a roar emerged from the crumbling building, the two looking on warily as the dust finally began to settle, revealing the form of their attacker for all to see.

"That isn't a Daimon." Lelouch muttered warily, and indeed the being that stood amidst the debris of the destroyed club looked nothing like the Daimon that had attacked them so far, which had always taken the form of scantily clad, vaguely female monsters that wouldn't have looked out of place at an anime convention, a fact which honsetly made Lelouch question the tastes of their enemies.

The only resemblance the creature before them bore to a human being was that it possessed two arms and legs, but the similarities ended there. It was larger than an average human, standing on two cloven hooves, it's heavily muscled body covered in pale white skin. It's head was shaped like a pig, or rather a boar, for two curved tusks curved from under it's snout, glinting in the sun as it turned to regard them with it's sole golden eye.

The Boar Hollow had arrived in a world that wasn't its own.

And it wasn't very happy.

* * *

_Inside the Casino..._

"Ouch…My leg."

Lelouch cursed, the elder teen looking on in concern as Shinji helped support a limping Hikari, the two teens having managed to avoid being injured by the blast thanks to their reflexes and instincts as Riders warning them of the incomming danger. Unfortunately, Hikari, being a civillian, lacked such abilities, and despite Lelouch's attempts to pull the girl to safety, she'd still injured her leg thanks to a piece of falling debris and was now unable to stand properly, let alone run.

'I knew this was too good to be true...' Lelouch muttered, his eyes narrowed as he glared in the direction the Boar Hollow had disappered in, the big dumb brute having lumbered right past them thanks to the thick layer of dust and debris hiding them from view 'Looks like the walls between the worlds are getting weaker…no way in HELL something like that can exist in a world without Riders...'

"Shinji." he spoke up, the younger Rider looking up as he pulled out the Decadriver, his face like stone as the belt formed around his waist, "Protect Hikari while I deal with this guy."

Shinji nodded in affirmation, picking up a protesting Hikari bridal style and making to carry her off the field while Lelouch marched towards the Boar Hollow, the elder teen's eyes hard as he drew closer to his porcine opponent, which growled as he enterred it's field of vision, it's sole golden eye glinting in recogntion as he reached for the Ride Booker.

"HOLD IT!" a voice called out, the combatants and onlookers turning to see a most peculiar sight, namely five teenage girls, Junior-High school at best, wearing decidedly revealing Sailor Suits whilst standing in verious poses as they glared at the Hollow accusingly.

"Even if Gambling is a sin, to attack innocent people is something I cannot allow!" the apparent ringleader, a pigtaled blonde with red knee boots and a pink brooch, called out, her pretty features set in determined, disapproving scowl "In the name of the Moon, we shall punish you!"

Needless to say, the the travellers, human and otherwise, were stunned by this turn of events, the Boar Hollow actually gaping at the scantilly clad teenagers with something akin to disbelief, rather like a boar that had been snuck on and stuck with a spear by a skilled hunter actually. It soon changed it's tune, however, when the scantily clad girls started attacking it, roaring in anger as it was hit by flames, lightning, frost and for some reason, a glowing tiara, it's massiv fists forcing the girls to scatter to avoid being smashed against the pavement.

"Um...guys...?" Shinji muttered, the younger teen unable to drag his eyes away from the fight as he spoke, his tone decidedly nervous, not unlike one who's fragile grip on reality has shifted somewhat "Are you seeing what I am seeing? Or did a piece of debris hit my head and I just didn't notice?"

"If you mean the teenage girls in rather…peculiar outfits then, I am seeing the same thing Ikari-kun. And I know I wasn't hit by anything." Hikari answered, the freckled girl gaping at the scene before her, clearly trying to make sense of this latest experience in her travels with Lelouch.

Ever since she'd met the elder teen, she'd found herself developing a fairly high tolerance for things many would consider weird, a necessity for anyone that kept company with Watanuki for an extended period of time, never mind countless nasties that her travel companions routinely had to fend off on their journey.

That being said, the sight of five teenage girls, dressed in uniforms that would NOT be unappreciated in a strip club, running around fighting a monster even Riders took seriously, was something no one could simply ignore. Riders and Monsters she could stomach, but this was a whole new level of weird.

"Vacation my foot." Lelouch grumbled, the elder teen glaring at the fight as if it personally insulted him "Just what kind of world did that crazy shopkeeper send us off to this time…?" he muttered, only to sigh in defeat as the pigtailed blonde's scream tore through the air, the Boar Hollow having almost landed a direct hit on her, were it not for a timely attack from the other blonde throwing of it's aim "Looks like I'd better step in..." he muttered, striding out of the ruined building, his eyes locked on the monster before him, which lead to him missing the looks of surprise on the faces of the strangely clad females.

* * *

_Senshi POV..._

"Damn...this thing's tough..." Jupiter muttered, the brunette Senshi of Thunder glaring up at the Boar monster as it shrugged off her attack "Looks like the Death Busters decided to up the ante a little bit!"

"I'm not so certain it belongs to the Death Busters..." Mercury countered, her visor out as she tried to scan the creature, looking for it's weak point "I'm not getting any of the readings that we normally get from a Daimon...and this doesn't seem like the kind of place where you'd find a Pure Heart Crystal."

"Well then what the hell is it?" Mars demanded, the hotheaded priestess glaring at their 'fearless leader' as she tried to pull the pigtailed blonde out from behind her "And where the hell did it come from? For that matter, how do we beat it?"

"I...don't know..." Mercury admitted uneasily, her voice tight with concern even as her fingers blurred across the keyboard "I've never seen anything like this before...the creature's chemical makeup...it's like nothing from this world!"

"So what, it's an alien?" Sailor Venus queried, driving the boar back with a Crescent Beam to the eye, only to pull up short as she espied a familliar face walking towards them "Hey wait, isn't that Lelouch-san?"

"Oh my gosh it is!" Mercury exclaimed, the shy bluenette looking on in horror, her visor easily allowing ehr to identify the foreign teenager that had befriended them all "What in the world is HE doing here?"

"Hey!" Moon called out, the reincarnated Princess of the Silver Millenium calling out to the handsome teen, waving her arms over her head to get his attention "Get away from here! It's too dangerous!"

But Lelouch ignored the warning, the Senshi looking on in alarm as he calmly held a strange, silver device up to his waist, a silver belt forming around it, holding it in place, a strange silver book like device appearing at his hip. Looking on in confusion, the senshi could only watch as Lelouch reached down to the buckle, with a swiftness that spoke of experience, reached down to the strange silver case and pulled out a card "Henshin!" he called out, out, slipping the card in the buckle even as the Boar monster turned to face him.

**"Kamen Ride:…"** The buckle announced with a mechanical chime, Lelouch promptly pushing the levers at it's side into place, returning the buckle to it's original position, a pink light shining from the centre, revealing a crest like a barcode "**DECADE!"**

At that moment, nine symbols formed in mid-air around the teen, resembling the one that was visible on the teen's buckle, overlapping with the silhouettes of nine different armored figures, which suddenly converged on Lelouch's body, forming a suit of armour, pink, black and white in colour, the green eyes of the helmet lighting up as the barcode-like horns attached themselves into place.

"Decade!" the boar creature hissed, the Senshi gaping at it in shock, having not expected it to possess the ability to speak, even as it threw it's head back and let loose a loud, squealing roar, it's massive fists clenched tightly as it charged the armoured figure.

"Now then..." the figure that had been Lelouch muttered, his voice distorted by his armor as he jumped into the air, his fist pulled back as he attacked the monster head on "Let's send you back where you came from!"

Needless to say, the Senshi didn't know how to react to what they had just seen. Before their very eyes Lelouch, the mysterious young foreigner they had met only a few weeks ago, yet had quickly earned a place in theit small, cherished circle of friends had just transformed into a Kamen Rider.

"I can't believe it." Sailor Venus said with a stunned look on her face, a sentiment shared by the other Senshi, the Fuku-clad warriors of love and justice trying to wrap their minds around this latest mystery concerning their new friend.

They certainly weren't the only ones.

* * *

_Off to the side..._

"C3… did you get a good look at that guy?" Lelouch asked, his features lined with confusion, which was only understandable, as it wasn't every day that you saw yourself transform into a masked warrior and tackle a monster head on...not from THIS point of view that is "Because either I'm going crazy, or the guy currently ripping that thing a new one is me."

"I can assure you, I'm just as confused as you are." C3 assured him, her tone unusually serious "If my sensors are right, and they always are, then it is really you who's standing over there." it buzzed uncertainly "But that armor… I have never seen anything like this, not even in T's database."

Lelouch's eyes narrowed, the former emperor glaring at the pink-clad warrior distrustfully. Had it been any other person, he would've gladly welcomed the arrival of another Rider, after carefully making sure they weren't a threat to either his or the Senshi's mission that is. But for a Rider to appear out of thin air, bearing HIS face no less, just when a strange monster that CLEARLY wasn't a Daimon attacked? Color him cynical, but there was definitely something going on here. And it probably wasn't anything good.

"C3..." he called out, the Zecter turning to face him as he raised his arm, his finger resting on the button of his henshin brace "Let's go." he insisted "I have some questions I want to ask that guy."

"I thought you'd never ask." C3 noted, her tone amused even as Lelouch pressed the button on the bracer, earning a mechanized cry of "STANDBY!" as the Caucasus Zecter connected with it, resulting in a cry of "HENSHIN!"

* * *

_With Decade…_

Decade was tearing the Boar Hollow apart, the Passing Through Rider eyed Rider almost feeling pity for the dumb brute as itstumbled about, trying to hit him. Almost being the key word, as it was clear from the creature's action that it was one of those few Hollows that considered humans to be less than insects, evidenced by it's casual destruction of public property.

'Time to finish this...' he muttered, dodging the Hollow's massive fist and delivering a perfect counter punch to its stomach, doubling the larger creature over and sending it flying backwards, squealing like a stuck pig. As it tried unsuccessfully to climb to it's cloven hooves, Decade drew another card from the Ride Booker, pulling apart the handles of the Decadriver to reveal the card slot, swiftly inserting the card and slamming the buckle shut again.

**"Final Attack Ride:..."** the Decadriver declared, numerous golden, rectangular panels forming between Decade and his opponent, each panel covered with the Rider's own symbol as they hovered in the air **"D-D-D-DECADE!"**

"HAH!" Decade yelled, the Rider leaping into the air, the panels following him, forming a line between him as his target, the Hollow having finally managed to stagger to it's feet, only to seemingly realize it was far to late, bringing it's massive arms up in a feeble bid to protect itself as as the Rider descended towards him, seemingly warping through the cards, picking up speed with each pasing, flying out of the the last one with his right leg extended in a fierce kick that smashed through the feeble guard and into the Hollow's chest, sending it flying backwards once more, except this time, rather than attempting to get up, the Hollow simply exploded, leaving behind a pile of white sand.

"And that is that..." the Passing Through Rider muttered, landing gracefully and dusting off his hands, not even sparing a second glance at the creature he had just destroyed as he turned to walk away, only to pull up short at the sound of running footsteps.

"Lelouch-san! Please wait!" five distinctly female voices called out, none of them familliar, but then considering the state of his memories, he supposed he shouldn't be surprised, though he certainly was when he turned to fce the voices, only to find the five suggestively dressed girls that had challenged the Boar Hollow running towards him, their admittedly pretty faces lined with looks of confusion, anxiety and surprise.

'Sailor Senshi...' a part of Lelouch's brain that seemed to instinctively recognize any and all situations whispered, the Passing Through Rider relaxing omewhat as he 'realised' precisely who was standing before him, his mental library filling him in on the history of the scantily clad warrior's of Love and Justice, including their powers, true names, and for some odd rason, their three sizes and taste in underwear.

By now, the Senshi had caught up to him, the Passing Through Rider regarding them silently with his helmet's green eyes, noting that they seemed a little unsure as to how to go about asking him whatever was on their minds. Just as the Pigtailed Blonde, Sailor Moon, otherwise known as Usagi Tsukino, the reincarnation of Princess Serenity of the Moon Kingdom, seemed to muster up the courage to do so, an armoured fist slammed into his helmet, sending him flying backwards through the air.

'What the HELL!' the former Emperor stammered, completely blindsided by the unexpected attack, as from what little he knew of the senshi, they weren't the type to blindside someone out of the blue, unless it was quite obvious they were whatever monster of the week the enemy employed against them. Furthermore, none of the Senshi could move so fast that he couldn't have dodged or blocked such a blow, and while they were no pushovers, he highly doubted they could've hit him so hard he could feel it through his armour.

That, and the fact he'd felt this sensation before, the sensation of being completely and utterly at a person's mercy as they pummelled him from all angles, his every move meaning little as the enemy overwhelmed him with pure, unadulterated speed and power.

'Clock Up-!' he realized, swearing profusely as he flew through the air, a realization that was soon confirmed as a loud, mechanical voice announced "CLOCK OVER!" the moment he crashed into the ground, a familliar golden figure appearing between him and the startled Senshi.

* * *

_With Caucasus..._

Caucasus braced himself as he dropped out of Clock up, the golden Rider appeared a few yards between the mysterious Rider and the Senshi, his Masked Form replaced by the more offensive Rider Form. Despite his back being to the Senshi, he could feel their shocked gazes boring into him, not surprising really, as he had, in their eyes, just attacked someone who looked just like their friend. He only hoped he could resolve their confusion without having to unmask himself before them, the security implications aside, it was too soon for the Senshi to learn who he was.

"Caucasus-san?" Sailor Moon gasped, finally managing to find her tongue after the sudden, unexpected assault of the mysterious Rider by their more familliar ally "Why did you attack Lelouch-san?" she demanded, her voice tinged with concern for her friend and confusion as to why their mysterious ally would do such a thing unprovoked.

"I know you are confused about this…" Caucasus muttered, turning his head slightly to peer over his shoulder at the Senshi, though he kept his back to them, not wanting to expose himself to the Doppleganger unnecessarily, there was no telling what abilities this new Rider had "but believe me, this is NOT Lelouch. I don't know who he is or how he took this form, but this man is not your friend."

"Really smooth." C3's chuckled mockingly via the link inside the Rider's helmet, the Golden Zecter clearly enjoying the current situation to no end, earning a warning growl from her partner that was cut short by a familliar snort.

"That's a really rude thing to say," the foreign Rider called out, the Senshi and Caucasus turned to see he had once again gottent o his feet, looking relatively unscathed by Caucasus Clocked-Up sukcer punch, a fact which irked the Rider to no end "talk about the pot caling the kettle black, Worm?"

"Worm?" Mercury repeated, the blue-fuku sporting Senshi of Ice blinking at the unfamilliar term, staring between the two Riders in confusion "What do you mean by that? Are you really Lelouch-san?"

"I'm A Lelouch, if that's what you're asking, though whether I'm the one you're familliar with is debateable." the foreign Rider admitted, Caucasus stiffening at the admission, the former Emperor wondering if, perhaps, this was the Lelouch of another World, it certainly wasn't the first time he'd encountered a Parallel World after all, he was technically living in one at the moment. "As for what I mean: a Worm is an alien life form that can assume the form, memories and abilities of a human being, so perfectly that not even the victims friends and family couldn't tell the difference."

The Senshi recoiled in horror at the description, and even Caucasus had to admit, the idea of facing something that could so effectively camoflage itself was a daunting prospect. ANYONE could be an enemy, your best friend, your parents, hell, even YOU might not truly be yourself, simply remnants of some poor unfortunate that had been at the wrong place at the wrong time when the creature had struck.

"I came to this world to track down a Worm that escaped here." the green-eyed Rider revealed, his tone dangerous "They're predators by nature, hiding amongst humans, waiting for the opportune moment to strike, assuming the form of their latest kill before moving onto the next." He glanced at Caucasus, and despite the helmet obscuring his features, the Golden Rider had n doubt the other Lelouch was scowling at him "However, I never would've guessed that it had managed to steal a Kamen Rider System..."

"Wait what?" Caucasus blinked, not liking the way this conversation was going, especially considering the looks on the faces of the Senshi "Hold on! I'm not a Worm or whatever the hell you call them!"

"Then how do you possess a Kabuto series Rider System?" the Green-Eyed Rider demanded, his voice coldly calculating "That technology doesn't belong in this world, the very fact that you possess it makes you the #1 suspect."

Caucasus swore, the Golden Rider noticing the looks in the eyes of the Senshi, realizing they were slowly starting to believe the new Rider over him "In that case, you're equally suspicious!" he countered, pointing at the Rider accusingly "You claim you're from a parallel world? Prove it!"

"Gladly..." the Green-Eyed Rider conceded, reaching down to the silver case at his hip, converting it into a sword with a flick of his wrist "The time for pleasantries is over… I'll make you reveal yourself."

With that he lunged forwards, his strange sword swinging towards Caucasus's head, the Golden Rider blocking it instantly with his right arm, grimacing when he felt the force behind the blow. Whoever this strange Rider was, he was strong, but not unduly so, if anything, Caucasus was confident that in terms of strength, and most certainly speed, he held the advantage.

To prove it, he lashed out, forcing the green-eyed Rider back, the golden Rider quickly using that moment's instability to quickly close the gap between them, delivering a powerful punch to his opponent's torso, the green-eyed Rider stumbling backwards from the impact, only to retaliate by bringing up his strange weapon once more, only this time, it had converted into a sort of firearm, Caucasus cursing as several bursts of energy fired from the thing, ramming into his torso with the force of coannonfire, sending the golden Rider stumbling backwards.

The battle went on, both sides taking heavy damage, landing in cheap blows that threw off their opponent's game, until finally, Caucasus' patience had reached its end, the golden Rider deciding to end this NOW, slapping the pad on his hip before disappearing with a mechanized cry of "CLOCK UP!"

* * *

_With Decade..._

"Ah shit..." the Passing Through Rider muttered, mentally kicking himself for not aiming for allowing the Golden Rider time to go for his Clock Up switch, though his thoughts soon turned to defence as he found himself assaulted from all sides by a golden blurr that, he knew from experience, was merely the after image of his opponent moving at the speed of light.

After what seemed like an eternity, but in actuality had more likely only been a minute at most, the assault finally ended and Decade fell to the ground once more, cursing at the pain tearing through his battered frame, even as Caucasus reappeared with a mechanized cry of "CLOCK OVER!". the Golden Rider standing over him, just out of reach of a retaliatory sword stroke or gunshot.

"Give up." He ordered, his tone commanding, confident in his superiority, the same tone Decade himself often employed against his foes, the Passing-Through Rider feeling his hackles rise as he glared up at his foe "You cannot defeat me. Tell me who you are and we might be able to resolve this peacefully."

"You're right..." he muttered, gritting his teeth as he got to his feet, his legs shaking ever so slightlly as he drew another card from the Ride Booker "As I am now I cannot defeat you..." he grinned as he held the card up, revealing the ZECT crest "So let's slip into something a little more appropriate, shall we?"

**"KAMEN RIDE:..."** The Decadriver declared, Caucasus tensing as Decade slammed the levers together, the Zect crest appearing in the centre **"KABUTO!"**

Before the eyes of everyone present, Decade's form vanished beneath a series of grey hexagonal plates, which shattered, forcing Caucasus to back away a step, the Golde Rider's gapin in surprise as the Green-Eyed Rider's form was replaced by a taller form, dressed in a black bodysuit under red and silver armor, the helmet, which now possesed large a large blue visor, not unlike his own, was biscected by a large red horn that did indeed resemble that of a Kabuto beetle.

"Now then..." D-Kabuto called out, his tone confident in the face of his foe's shock "Let me join you on the path of heaven."

* * *

_With the senshi..._

"What the heck? He changed his form!" Venus exclaimed, the Senshi of love's eyes widening in surprise, as well as some slight disgust, as she had never been a big fan of insects, even AFTER Caucasus had shown up.

"It looks a lot like Caucasus-san's armour...' Mercury noted, her scanner out once again as she compared the two Riders, marvelling at their technology "I wonder if it has the same capabilities?"

As if to answer her question, D-Kabuto drew antoher card from the Ride Booker, slotting it into his belt, which called out **"Attack Ride:..."** just as Caucasus slapped the device on his hip, the two rider's vanishing with a joint cry of **"CLOCK UP!", **leaving the Senshi looking on in wonderment as the two God-Speed Warriors duked it out at the speed of light, the Senshi only able to tell where they had been thanks to the occasional shower of sparks that erupted whenever one of the Rider's landed a blow.

**"CLOCK OVER!"**, each glaring at the other hatefully, their breath coming in ragged gasps, their respective armours dented in places, covered by scrapes and dirt, making it clear to all that, now that the advantage of Clock Up had been dealt with, the two Rider's were easily matched.

"We need to do something..." Jupiter insisted, the Senshi of Thunder unable to keep standing around while a friend was in danger, the fact that TWO such friends were the ones fighting only made her desire to help out all the more insistant "At this rate they're going to kill each other!"

"STOP!" Sailor Moon called out, the Pig-Tailed Senshi stepping forward, intending to get between the Riders even as they made to lunge at one another again, only to blink as they pulled up short, looking down to see a single red rose embed itself in the concrete between the combatant's, halting them in their tracks "Tuxedo Kamen-sama!"

Sure enough, standing atop a nearby building, wearing his trademark black Tuxedo as his black opera cape billowed behind him, stood Tuxedo Kamen, otherwise known as Mamoru Chiba, ally of the Sailor Senshi and the reincarnated prince of the Earth

"To attack a comrade is to attack his comrades as well." the Masked Prince called out, his blue eyes hard as he glared down at D-Kabuto from on high "I cannot stand by and let this senseless battle continue." With these words the masked warrior jumped down from the building, his cape fluttering and framing his form.

"A rose?" D-Kabuto demanded, the Red and silver Rider somehow managing to express his exasperation despite the helmet obscuring his features from view "Are you kidding me? Who the hell throw's a Rose in battle?"

"Don't ask me..." Caucasus muttered, the Golden Rider unable to help agreeing with his opponent, as he always considered Mamoru's flair for the dramatics to be a little on the far side of cheesy, and this was coming from HIM of all people!

Heedless of the mockery he was receiving courtesy of his fellow Masked Warriors, the Tuxedo sporting Prince leapt down from his perch, landing agile,y like a cat, despite the fact a normal man would've broken his leg at that height, the Senshi turning to face him in relief.

"What should we do, Tuxedo Kamen-sama?" Sailor Moon asked, her helplessness clearly visible as she gaped up at her lover/future husband, waving her arms empathetically "Lelouch-san transformed into this strange Kamen Rider who can change forms and accused Caucasus-san of being an alien worm!"

"I'm already aware..." Tuxedo Kamen assured them, his expression undreadable thanks to the mask that concealed his eyes, but the Rider's had the distinct impression that he was glaring at them with barely concealed anger "Unfortunately, girls...I fear iwe have a bigger problem on our hands..."

"What do you mean?" Sailor Moon asked, peering up at her lover in concern, only to blink as the Rose on the ground sparked, her eyes widening in shock as magical energy lanced out of it, Caucasus and D-Kabuto howling in agony as it shocked them within their armour "Mamo-chan! What are you doing!"

"I'm sorry Usako, but I don't have a choice..." Tuxedo Kamen muttered, his features lined with concern as he watched the Rider's struggle against the painful energy "If we let the Destroyer loose, he will destroy everything we hold dear."

"The...Destroyer?" Sailor Moon repeated, blinking at her lover in confusion, a sentiment shared by the rest of the Senshi as they stared between him and the Riders "What do you mean, Mamo-chan?"

"I had a vision the other night..." Tuxedo Kamen explained, his expression hard "The Shitennou appeared before me, warning me that the Destroyer of Worlds would appear, and that his passing would signal the end of all we hold dear..."

"You bastard..." D-Kabuto growled, struggling to raise his head, only to be driven to the ground once more as another wave of magical lightning crashed into him, a cry of agony tearing from his throat, joining alongside Caucasus'.

"They said that he would wear the face of one we held dear," Tuxedo Kamen continued, and though his features were unreadable, his eyes seemed to glint with some dark, hidden emotion "That he would try to tempt us with honeyed words and visions of destruction, only to stab us in the back when he had earned our trust."

"Then...he really ISN'T Lelouch-san?" Sailor Moon wondered, staring at the trapped Riders in disbelief, wincing as their howls of agony reached her, before turning back to her future husband in concern "But then why did you attack Caucasus-san as well?"

"Because he ISN'T Caucasus." Tuxedo Kamen replied, and for the first time, a look of angry certainty covered his face, the Tuxedo-clad prince glaring at the Golden Rider with an almost TANGIBLE hatred in his eyes "The Real Caucasus is DEAD. I SAW him die." he nodded towards the Rider as the Senshi gasped in horror "This THING is an imposter, no doubt sent by the Death Busters to get us to drop out guard."

"It can't be..." Sailor Moon stammered, the Senshi looking lost and horrified by what they'd just heard "Caucasus-san...dead?"

"You son of a-!" Caucasus swore, pushing himself off the ground, only to be met with much of the same success as D-Kabuto, the two of them dropping to the ground once again as a fresh wave of agoniizing magical lighting washed over them "Gah-!"

"I know this sounds hard, Usa-ko..." Tuxedo Kamen muttered, reaching up to stroke the distraught leader of the Senshi's cheek with one gloved hand "I know you don't like the act of taking another's life. But the Destroyer of Worlds lives only to live up to his title, he won't rest until there's nothing left of earth but dust in space." he held her chin "For th sake of our future...for the sake of Crystal Tokyo...we must destroy them now, while they're defenceless!"

"Mamoru-san!" Mercury exclaimed, the senshi looking at the Tuxedo-clad prince in admonishment, shocked that he would ask their leader to do such a thing, only to fall silent as Sailor Moon stepped forwards, her Spiral Heart Moon Rod in hand, the pigtailed Senshi looking troubed but determined as she stood before the Riders, her blue eyed filled with a determined kind of sadness that only those faced with an unpleasant, but necessary task possess.

"I'm sorry..." she offered, and she meant it, the Riders looking up to see tears of pity streaming down her cheeks, the Senshi looking on in a kind of shocked wonder, Mercury and Jupiter averting their eyes, while Venus and Mars seemed unconfortable, but resigned.

And behind them all, his features locked in a dark smile that had long thought been banished by the destruction of Queen MEtallia, stood Tuxedo Kamen, his eyes shinging with triumph as he watched the Pigtailed Senshi raise her Moon Rod over her head.

"MOON SPIRAL HEART-!"

* * *

ST-ST-ST-STORY BREAKER!

Part one of the Christmas Special, Hope you enjoyed it!

Tune in next time for the Finale!


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